PESTS AND THEIR TREATMENT 157 



seal, Hudson seal, Red River seal, sable, French 

 sable, sable coney and seal coney. 



Occasionally during the past twenty years, jack- 

 rabbits so greatly increased in Colorado and south- 

 ern California that great rabbit drives became 

 necessary, in which the rabbits were destroyed by 

 wholesale methods. 



Unhappy Australia is now struggling with a new 

 pest. About thirty years ago, the European red 

 fox was introduced, to establish the noble pastime 

 of fox hunting; and the result was an escape of 

 foxes that soon began to stock the country. Having 

 no natural enemies to contend with except man, the 

 foxes soon found themselves in a vulpine paradise. 

 They are industriously devouring all kinds of wild 

 mammals and birds except the largest species, 

 domestic poultry, pigs and lambs, and it is believed 

 that they will eventually spread all over Australia. 

 The government offers a bounty on fox scalps, but 

 the increase of the pest continues. 



In America the English sparrow is now a 

 national sorrow. This pest is past eradication, save 

 by an effort so great and so costly that no such 

 effort ever will be put forth. All Americans 

 declare with irritation that "the English sparrow is 

 a nuisance, and ought to be exterminated"; but 

 there the matter rests. 



And now comes the European starling, a short, 

 thick bird of black plumage strongly penciled with 

 light-colored streaks, a yellowish beak and a cheery 



