1 66 Stoats and Weasels. [Sess. 



character begin to develop tliemselves : these have long foot- 

 stalks, and are lanceolate in form, with a smooth surface. 

 Wlien these two forms of leaves are placed alongside of each 

 other, they are so dissimilar in appearance as almost to con- 

 ceal their identity. Such instances of variation between im- 

 mature and mature forms are very curious, and well worthy 

 of investigation. 



X.— STOATS AND WEASELS: THEIR HAUNTS, 

 HABITS, AND PECULIARITIES 

 \-.;. . Bt Mr TOM SPEEDY. , 



{Read April 25, ISSS.) 



The idea of writing on weasels suggested itself to me in con- 

 sequence of my collecting and keeping a large number of these 

 animals, with the view of sending them out to New Zealand, 

 in order to form a natural check to the rabbits, which are there 

 increasi)ig in inordinate numbers. It is a never-failing law of 

 nature that where animals which have a tendency to increase 

 rapidly have been placed, checks are also found by way of 

 counterbalance ; but in the fauna of Australia and New Zea- 

 land, neither rabbits nor their natural enemies appear to have 

 been included. Man, however, who sometimes presumes to be 

 wiser than the Framer of natural law, has introduced rabbits 

 into these countries, and with the most ruinous results. I am 

 not aware when they were first imported into these colonies, 

 but fifteen years ago they were confined to a small area of 

 20,000 acres in the extreme south of South Island, and were 

 at that time taken little notice of. In Southland and Otago 

 the ravages of rabbits became a serious matter about a dozen 

 years ago ; and, notwithstanding the appeals of the Crown 

 tenants, the Provincial Government looked on with indifi'er- 

 ence, until those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits 

 were practically ruined. To illustrate the dimensions which 

 the rabbit pest has assumed, I may mention that Mr Brydon, 

 a friend of my own, who was examined before a Parliamentary 

 Committee last year, stated that "on a run of 100,000 acres 



