Phillips. — On Rahbit-discase. 309 



weasels ; hawks being also most useful) ; (4) the steady 

 hunting with dogs. 



I am glad to note that Professor Thomas makes no ]neu- 

 tiou of rabbit-fencing whatever in his report. This remedy, 

 which captivates superficial minds, I never used, and have no 

 faith in. It affords a temporary stop against the rabbit, but 

 it is most harmful in causing settlers to rely upon its efficacy 

 in place of taking proper and active measures against the 

 pest. Whenever a settler resorts to rabbit -fencing I know 

 that the rabbits are to be preserved in his district. It is no 

 remedy whatever against the pest. All the good it affords is a 

 selfish and temporary protection. Hundreds of thousands of 

 pounds are being expended upon it throughout the Austral- 

 asian Colonies, whereas one-tenth of the money properly applied 

 would give far more effectual relief. I mean by this the intro- 

 duction of the natural enemy and spread of the diseases above 

 named. 



I cannot add much to Professor Thomas's zoological work. 

 That I think excellent, except in the one thing — viz., his ex- 

 periments with the ferret. My opinion is that the ferret is a 

 wormy animal, and I should like to see further experiments 

 tried in the direction of feeding it with the proglottides 

 (tapeworm-ends) . 



Professor Thomas takes exception to Sir James Hector's 

 statement ("Trans.," vol. xx., p. 457) that "in America he had 

 seen large tracts of country cleared of rabbits in a few months 

 by the propagation of this disease — bladder- worm," and in 

 support of his view he says that " the statements made by Mr. 

 C. N. Bell, of Winnipeg, do not bear out any such idea." I 

 should feel favoured by Sir James Hector stating now what he 

 actually did say. I believe our worthy Director furnished our 

 Government with a paper upon the rabbit question many years 

 ago. I should be glad to see it included in the "Trans- 

 actions" of this society. 



With regard to the bladder- worm disease, I may be allowed 

 to add here my own practical observations to Professor 

 Thomas's scientific work. The disease certainly appears to 

 be worse during the summer and autumn nronths. In winter 

 not many bladdery rabbits are caught ; but the men then are 

 generally poisoning. As I write now, in the spring, the first 

 small bladders are appearing attached to the liver and the 

 big paunch of the stomach, like a little set of pendants, usually 

 where the liver touches the stomach. They are rather pretty 

 little pendants, like drops of cloudy water containing a worm 

 or two — at least, that is their present appearance, although I 

 must say that this is the first time I have noticed the bladder- 

 worm in this form. I am not quite certain about these little 

 sacs, but I have brought with me a specimen for members to 



