258 REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. L. W. Suilot, of Salem, Ohio, writes: 



Rabbits eat apples and the leaves of the Swedish turnips; loss trifling. 



Mr. I. H. Shank, of Hickory, W. Va., writes: 



Rabbits sometimes eat fallen apples, but the loss is trifling. They gnaw the trunks 

 of young apple trees, thus killing quite a number. 



Mr. William West, of Chehalis, Wash. Ter., writes* 

 Rabbits occasionally injure apple trees by eating the bark during the winter, but 

 the loss is trifling. 



Mr. J. C. Cavener, of Gainesville, Tex., writes; 



Rabbits.are very destructive to English peas; they like cabbage also. They are 

 liable to damage neady all kinds of fruit trees, and all soft-rooted forest and shade 

 trees, by gnawing their roots in two. They girdle or gnaw the bark from the collar 

 of young peach, apple, pear, and plum; and sometimes Bois d'arc hedges are dam- 

 aged by them. They are worse when the ground is frozen or covered with snow, 



Mr. H. W. Buckm^an, of Glenwood, Cal., writes: 



Rabbits eat squashes, melons, and cucumbers, both the young plant and the fruit, 



Mr. David H. Herman, of Willows, Dak., writes: 

 Hares and rabbits gnaw young fruit trees in winter. 



Mr. W, R. McDaniel, of Faceville, Ga., writes: 

 Rabbits eat garden peas. The loss is serious. 



THE IMPORTATION OP EXOTIC SPECIES SHOULD BE GOVERNED BY 



LAW. 



The great calamity that has befallen onr agricultural industries in 

 the importation of the English Sparrow, and the threatened danger 

 from the introduction of the European Rabbit, should serve as timely 

 warnings to an intelligent people and lead to legislation restricting 

 the importation of foreign birds and mammals. 



It seems desirable that a law be enacted conferring upon the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture the power of granting or withholding per- 

 mits for the importation of birds and mammals, except in the case of 

 domesticated species, certain song and cage birds (to be specifically 

 enumerated), and species intended for exhibition in zoological gar- 

 dens, menageries, and museums, which may be brought in without 

 special permits. 



The question of the desirability_ of importing species of known 

 beneficial qualities in other lands is one which sooner or later must 

 force itself upon our notice- and it is highly important that when 

 such experiments are made they should be conducted by or under the 

 control of the Department of Agriculture. And it may be suggested 

 that isolated areas, such as islands of suitable size and character, be 

 selected for this purpose, so that the spread of the species may be 

 prevented if the result renders this course desirable. 

 I WAsmNGTON, D. C, February 20, 1886. 



C. HART MERRIAM, 

 Chief of Division of Ot'tiithology and Mammalogy. 



Hon. Norman J. Colman, 



Commissioner. 



