Wellbujtoii PklloHophlcal Society. 588 



die off ill our part Rats ai'e a great pest ; the bush swarms with them. 

 Pigs, too, are ifairly numerous, and form an important article of food to 

 survey- and road-parties, bush-fellers, and others. Every few years, how- 

 ever, one sees dead rats and pigs lying about in considerable numbers ; and 

 the rest are scarcely able to crawl about, and fall away to skin and 

 bone. In these seasons a wild pig lit to eat cannot be found. The rats seem 

 to be first attacked. About November dead ones are seen lying about, and 

 soon afterwards there are dead pigs also. I have thought the pigs perhaps 

 get infected through eating the dead rats. The disease lasts all through 

 the summer ; but the animals which survive till April or ^^lay seem to 

 recover. As I learned that the subject of rabbits was to be discussed 

 to-night, I thought it might be well to mention what I have now said, 

 as it may lead to inquiry, and so to some simple means being found of 

 keeping down these animals. 



Mr. C. Pharazyn admitted tha,t the disease mentioned by]Mr. Phillips 

 carried off a certain number of rabbits ; but said that by the aid of ferrets 

 and other natural enemies he had got rid of the pest on his property. At 

 one time a man could go out on the land and get eighty rabbits a day, 

 liut now it would be difirtcult to kill three per diem; and all this had been 

 done at a cost of not more than £100. He firmly believed in the natural 

 enemies, because a flesh-eating animal was required to destroy one which 

 subsisted on grass and other green stuff, ^lillions of pounds were being 

 lost through the rabbits, and yet Government took no effective means to 

 eradicate the pest. He suggested tliat Government should place tlie 

 matter of rabbit-extermination in the hands of some scientific men. 



-Mr. C. Hulke confirmed !Mr. Field's statement regarding the dis- 

 appearance of the rabbits from the district round about Wanganui. 



Sir James Hector thought it was possible the wild native dogs might 

 have had something to do with the disappearance of rabbits in the district 

 mentioned by Messrs. Field and Hulke. European dogs, when ill, relieved 

 themselves by eating grass and herbs ; but it was possible the wild dogs 

 did not do this, and that tiie diseases from which they suffered were 

 caught by the rabbits, who died in consequence. 



]\Ir. Field explained that the pure native dog had disappeared long 

 ago. The wild dogs of the present day were animals which were a cross 

 between the J\Iaori and the European dog. 



The Hon. fl. Pharazyn pointed out that there had been a mysterious 

 disappearance of rabbits from the Waitotara district. This had been 

 attributed to wet seasons; but he was unable to say whether the wet 

 weather had anything to do witli the diminution of the pest. 



Mr. W. H. Beetham, at the invitation of the Chairman (though not 

 a member of the Society), made some remarks on the subject, and said 

 he also favoured the introduction of the natural enemies, as he looked 

 upon poisoning and trapping as much too costly. He attributed the 

 great decrease of rabbits in the South Wairarapa to the introduction of 

 ferrets, stoats, and weasels. The loss in the Wairarapa through the 

 rabbit-pest was something enormous, the cost of poisoning on his station 

 in six weeks amounting to £800. He was afraid that, unless effective 

 means were taken to eradicate the plague, many property -owners would 

 be ruined. 



!Mr. Coleman Phillips, in reply to the President, said tliat the expres- 

 sion used by him, "niinimum-of-safety stage," meant that stage beyond 

 wliich the rabbits could not be reduced. With regard to what had fallen 

 from ^Ir. Travers respecting the delicacy of the ferret, he would say that 

 the ferret had increased in the Wairarapa, notwithstanding its delicacy ; 

 but he would advise runholders to build little inexpensive earth homes, 

 and cover them with scrub, in different parts of their runs, as a protection 

 to ferrets, stoats, and weasels. In answer to Sir James Hector, ]\Ir. 

 Phillips asked him to qualify his statement " that he had not much faith 



