The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-19
Gone to Other Lands.

According TO Mr.. Espeut, who~original-
ly introduced the mongoose into Janai-
ca, large numbers Of the animals have
been sent TO Cuba, Porto Rico. Grenada.
barbados, Santa Cruz. and elsewhere.
out the fate Of these shipments made
az least sixteen years ago, is now I'M
known. II is now established on Haiti.
as shown by the capture Of a specimen
at Santo Domingo City in the winter Of
1885, and is generally distributed over
the island Of Porto Rico Il is also pres
ent on the island Of Vieques. east Of
Porto Rico. and Is abundant on St
Thomas. During a recent visit Mr.. A
y. Baker found It along the coast of
Porto Rico at Arecibo, San Juan. Fatar-
DO. Arroyo. Ponce. and Mayaguez, and
y the interior at Utuado and Adjuntas.
IL was introduced at San Juan about
SH-'S. and although now becoming a
nuisance. is considered beneficial by the
sugar planters who claim that the rats.
which were formerly very destructive to
cane. now do little damage. These rats
often live I'm the tops Of the royal and
cocoa palms and destroy cocoanuts as
well as sugar cane.
The first efforts to 3ntroduce theNmon-
goose into the Hawaiian Islands were
made about 1881. when a Jew individuals
OF large species were brought from
the East Indies and liberated on a sugar
plantation in the district of Hamakua
on Hawaii These animals did not breed
and soon disappeared. a few months
later a few pairs Of a smaIler. species
were Imported from Calcutta. but nearly
all were accidentally drowned while he
ing landed near Huo. Soon afterwar,l
seventy-five individuals were imported
from Jamaica by the planters Of TIiIo
and later 2l5 more were imported from
Hamakua. Here the mongoose is aiding
In the rapid determination of some OF
the native birds. particularly the Ha-
waiian goose (Nesochen sandvicensisl
which is found only on those islands
above an altitude Of 1000 feet, and the
Hawaiian duck Anas wyvilliana). also a
peculiar species. According to H. W
Henshaw this duck was common about
Hilo in 1891 but in IsgS none were left
anywhere In this region. As in Jamaica
the depredations Of rats IN the cane
fields diminished with the increase Of
the mongoose. but The latter soon be-
came so abundant that measures became
necessary to keep It under control In
1892 a law was passed forbidden: the in
PRODUCTION. breeding. or keeping OF the
mongoose in the islands and the sum
Of $1,000 was appropriated for the pay
ment OF oounties on animals killed on
the Island Of Oahu. These rewards. not
to exceed 25 cents per head, were to be
paid by the minister OF the interior. but
apparently no applications were made
for them, the animals being regarded as
a necessary evil in the sugar-cane dis
tricL
Pests of Australia.
The Introduction Of rabbits into Aus
tralia and New Zealand has been a
bane from which these islands have SUI
fered almost incredible loss since the.
introduction occurred. Originally, they
were brought in for use In eoursing with
small hounds or beagles, and they in
| creased 10 an extent at once ALARMING
and almost incredible.
Vast ranges Of country in the great
island have been overrun and the bread
plains Of succulent grass. over which
had ranged thousands Of herds OF sheen.
were stripped bare as a table By the
pests. Every possible method was used
for their suppression-poison, the intro
ductiOn OF animal foes and tie like
while enormous hunts were organized
In which hundreds of thousands ~ rab-
bits were killed. They served alike 1T
tie or no purpose, and the depreda ions
Of the rabbits have not appreciably de
creased.
Millions Of dollars worth Of damage