1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 293 



to a dii&cusision as to the advisability of allowing the importation and 

 sale of two particular species, the pheasant and the rabbit. 



The pheasant, which has been introduced into portions of Southern 

 Ontario, is undoubtedly a very fine game bird, and, in addition, though 

 perhaps not quite so toothsome a delicac}^ as the native partridge, 

 none the less much prized for its edible qualities. Under protection 

 it may be said to have thrived in the districts in which it has been 

 introduced, but, owing to the severity of the winter, and its constitu- 

 tional and i)hysical peculiarities, it can never be expected to adapt 

 itself to the greater portion of the Province, or to live and multiply 

 therein in a wild state. 



In England thousands of these birds are raised under domestic 

 conditions, and on attaining maturity, are released in the woods to 

 furnish sport, and, subsequently, a market commodity, which, though 

 comparatively expensive, is, nevertheless, within the means of a great 

 portion of the public, largely, indeed, filling the general demands for 

 game above referred to. 



To take advantage of the English market, during the English open 

 season, would seem to afford a means of satisfying the demand for 

 game at a reasonable price in this Province, without in the least hurt- 

 ing the interests of .those residents of Ontario on whose properties 

 pheasants are to be found, and without offence to the principle of inter- 

 state co-operation, for the price at Avhich they could be placed on the 

 market would hardly allure the poacher to devote time and trouble 

 to securing the local bird at the risk of incurring the penalties of the 

 law, but, none the less, would, if an open season were allowed, permit 

 those on whose properties pheasants were to lease their shooting to 

 advantage, or if they preferred to shoot themselves, afford them a 

 ready market for their birds, sufficiently remunerative to arouse their 

 continued interest in the maintenance of the birds on their properties, 

 and yet not sufficiently profitable to incite avaricious cupidity to 

 slaughter every possible specimen for the sake of immediate gain. 



The cotton-tail rabbit, indigenous to the Province, is, your Com- 

 missioner pres^imes, protected under that section of the Game Act deal- 

 ing with hares, and consequently the sale of rabbits is debarred in 

 Ontario during the greater portion of the year. In England the rabbit 

 is practically a staple food, exceedingly cheap and much relished by 

 the masses, affording, as it does, a tasty and wholesome dish, and it 

 is safe to assume that very many old country men, now residents in 

 Ontario, would gladly welcome and support a market of reasonably 

 priced rabbits all the year round, and that their example would be'Toi- 

 lowed by other sections of the community. 



In Australia, as is well known, the rabbit is a pest, and conse- 

 quently cheap, and your Commissioner has learned that it is possible 

 to import these animals, frozen and in their skins, and place them on 

 the market here at a figure not greatly in excess of that of the indige- 



