FERRETS, STOATS, AND WEASELS. 71 



peninsula of 8,000 acres, on which they reduced the rabbits, but by 

 no means exterminated them; 28 weasels were liberated at Lake 

 Wakatipu; 15 weasels near the Waiau River, in Southland; and 

 8 stoats at Ashburton. The rest were sold at Wellington, Christ- 

 church, and Dunedin. 



(d.} In 1886 the Government introduced two lots. Of these, 

 82 stoats and 126 weasels were distributed in about equal lots to 

 the Wilkin River, the Makarora, at the head of Lake Ohau, and 

 on the Waitaki; and 32 stoats and 116 weasels were distributed 

 between Marlborough and West Wairarapa. A private shipment 

 of 55 stoats and 167 weasels was also received for Riddiford's 

 station in West Wairarapa. The localities selected for these animals 

 were those in which rabbits were most abundant. Mr. Bailey also 

 reported that " ferrets were turned out by thousands," but the 

 success was only partial. 



In the same year a meeting was held at Masterton to consider 

 the administration of the Rabbit Act, and the best means of deal- 

 ing with the pest. One of the resolutions carried was, " That the 

 introduction of ferrets, stoats, and weasels in large numbers is 

 in the opinion of this meeting the only means by which the rabbit 

 pest can be successfully put an end to, and that every owner of 

 land infested with rabbits should either turn out ferrets in pro- 

 portion to his acreage or contribute to a fund for the breeding 

 and purchase of ferrets, stoats, and weasels to be turned out in the 

 district. That the landowners present form themselves into an 

 association for the purpose of providing the natural enemies." 

 An association was accordingly formed with this object in view, 

 large sums of money were subscribed, and hundreds of stoats and 

 weasels were introduced into the district. Several of the accli- 

 matization societies took strong exception to the action of the 

 Government and of the sheepowners directly concerned; but as the 

 societies were themselves directly responsible for the rabbits to a 

 large extent their protests were ineffectual. 



These animals have not exterminated the rabbits; they do not 

 even keep them in check in most parts. They have, however, helped 

 in the practical extermination over wide areas of many species of 

 indigenous birds, for they have penetrated into quite unsettled 

 and unbroken parts of the country, where apparently they feed on 

 the avifauna. 



