70 



JACK RABBITS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



was 3,333,933, or an average of 39,750 for the eiglity-four years for 

 which statistics are available. 



Eabbit skius have formed a large item of export from Australasia, 

 chiefly from the colonies of jSlew Zealand, Tasmania, and Victoria, for 

 nearly twenty years. In Victoria the number exported increased nearly 

 fifteenfold from 1876 to 1893, when it reached 10,374,154. Shipments 

 from New Zealand were trebled between 1879 and 1893, reaching in 

 the latter year over 17,000,000, valued at about £140,000 or nearly 

 $700,000. The following table shows the number of skins exported 

 from Australasia so far as figures are available: 



Export of Rabbit Skins from Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania.* 



Tlie importation of Australian rabbit skins in London, as shown by 

 reports of sales, aggregated 8,210 bales in 1890-91, and from July, 

 1894, to July, 1895, amounted to 13,140 bales, each averaging about 

 400 pounds and containing about 4,000 skins. The total number in 

 1894-95 was, therefore, about 52,500,000 skins, valued (at $70 per bale) 

 at nearly $1,000,000. 



It should be noticed that no less than one-third of the Australian 

 skins sent to London are said to be exported to New York. There 

 are now 20 cutters of hatter's fur in America, employing about 1(50 

 machines. Each machine will cut on an average 1,200 skins a day, 



* Compiled from Statistics Colony New Zealand, 1881-1890: New ZeaLind Year Books, 1891-1895; 

 Statistics Colony Tasnuinia, 1882-1894; Victorian Year llook. 1K93, II, p, 262, 1894, I, j). 437; Statistical 

 Jiejiister South An.stnilia, 1885-1894. 



tTlic returns t'roni New Zculaiid tor 1873- 1880 are taken from U. S. Consular Rei)ts.,VI, 1882, ]). 122. 

 Tlie viilues ari' only approximate, being reduced froin dollars at ilio rate of £1 .$5— the rate appar- 

 ently u.sed in olit:iining the vjiluc lor 1881 in the Consuhir Report. Ketunis for 1891-1894 are taken 

 fi'om the Year Books under rciiorts of exjiort of wool. 



jThe total exj)orts irom ,'\iislr:ilii.sia c;in not be obtained from th<>se li<;ur<-s as some of the skins 

 from New Ze;ihind ;inil 't;isniaiiiii were sbipjicd to otlicr colonies, iiarlicnlarly Victoria, and snch skins 

 may have been i-eexportcd ; e. i;., the direct cx))orls from 'I'jisniiinia to Kvinipc fioiii 1880 to 1892 formed 

 a very small percentage of the total exports, the bulk of the skins being shipped to Victoria. 



