20i Tranaocilons.- 'Zoolotjij. 



Here is a cutting from the Otago Witness, of the 3rd July, 

 page 7, which accurately describes one of the traps used fifty 

 years ago, and also advocates the importance of waging con- 

 tinual war with the sparrow of to-day in England, as was the 

 case many years ago : " Speaking of the sparrow nuisance, a 

 correspondent of the Field says, ' In consequence of a note in 

 your columns I have lately tried one of Wyatt's (of Bristol) 

 sparrow-traps, which in shape is like a large spittoon made of 

 wickerwork, and find it most successful. It is placed where 

 the poultry are fed, and six to eight sparrows are caught 

 daily. I generally leave one hen-sparrow in the trap as a 

 decoy. When one considers that a single pair of sparrows 

 will rear from eight to ten young ones during the next three 

 months, these traps seem to deserve a trial wherever sparrows 

 are numerous.' " The writer omits to mention a small door in 

 the side of the trap to collect tlie captured birds from, which 

 find entrance under the centre of the dov.-nward sloping top, 

 and seldom or never' think of returning by the same way. 

 This little extract shows that the w^ar wdth the sparrow has 

 been kept up all these years, and that they still hold their 

 own in spite of everything. 



Now an argument is founded by persons ignorant of the 

 above fact. They say, " See how the sparrows have increased 

 in New Zealand. If we are foolish enough to introduce 

 weasels they are sure to do the same." I know of no proof, 

 historical or otherwise, that weasels ever increased unduly in 

 England ; and, if it were not for the special eagerness w ith 

 which game is preserved in certain places, the weasels would 

 mostly be left unmolested, as they are in other districts where 

 game is not the particular object. In New Zealand "the 

 balance of nature " is at present upset by the undue increase 

 of the rabbit, so man requires to place the weasel in the oppo- 

 site scale and hold the balance in his hand. 



Since writing the above, I have received my copy of vol. 

 xxii. of the Transactions, and have read Mr. Coleman 

 Phillips's paper on ro.bbit-disease. Althougli advocating the 

 .spreading of fluke through the agency of dogs, he allows the 

 necessity of using natural enemies as aids in destruction also. 

 A letter from Mr. W. Brodie, President of the Toronto 

 Natural History Society, is included in the same paper, which 

 shows that the wolf, fox, lynx, fisher (Miisfcia 2)cnnantii), 

 marten (M. americana), and horned owl {Buho virrjiniana) 

 «,re in that district the rabbit - destroyers. All these are 

 dangerous animals to introduce into New- Zealand. The 

 three first are sure to destroy sheep and lambs. The fisher 

 and marten are tree -climbers. As Mr. Brodie remarks, 

 "They are good tree-climbers, thus easily eluding the pursuit 

 ■of dogs." It is a Violl-undorstood fact that it is of vital im- 



