56 NATURAL HISTOET SKETCHES. 



wild, for the rabbits to feed on. The rabbits could always 

 be sold in Melbourne for good prices. The native cats 

 and hawks would be their worst enemies ; but a small 

 warren could be well looked after, and would, I am sure, 



P a y- 



The deer has been introduced into Van Diemen's Land, 

 and lias done well in confinement ; and I fancy, if turned 

 loose, would thrive here. I recollect one fallow-deer, 

 which had somehow or other become loose, used to run 

 wild at the foot of the Dandenong ranges, and has more 

 than once been seen heading a mob of kangaroo. There 

 was a talk of importing some fallow-deer to turn out 

 before the hounds here, and great was the cry against 

 it. I should much like to know the difference between 

 hunting a wild dog or a deer as " bagmen." It is true 

 that the wild dog is generally torn to pieces, whereas the 

 deer, in all probability, would be saved ; and that it does 

 not break their hearts running them, is proved by the 

 deer which are turned out, season after season, before 

 the Queen's hounds in England. 



It has been suggested that the alpaca might be intro- 

 duced into this country from South America, and turned 

 out wild to usurp the place of the kangaroo. That they 

 would thrive here I have no doubt, and I believe they 

 have been already kept in confinement. But if the 

 experiment is to be tried on a large scale, I do not think 

 it would answer at first to turn such a valuable animal 

 loose as /me natures. As long as they were kept in pad- 

 docks, and looked after like sheep, they would be private 



