THE RABBIT PEST IN NEW ZEALAND. 445 
and turning out Ferrets. He has no rabbiters. He is entirely 
confident as to the result. There is no doubt that a large 
sprinkling of Ferrets spread into Swyncombe from Messrs. 
Bullens’ run. Mr. Gibson, who, as I have said, has the Clarence 
Run and Shearing Reserve (over 100,000 acres), is pursuing the 
same course. He has no rabbiters, and is breeding Ferrets 
largely. He last year turned out as many as 380 Ferrets. He 
considers that the Ferrets have practically cleared the Rabbits 
off a tract of country fourteen miles by twelve. Below Messrs. 
Bullen, in the Amuri, a few Ferrets have been turned out as a 
precaution, but the measures taken by the Messrs. Bullen and 
the run-holders above practically stopped the spread of Rabbits 
on that side. 
After leaving Messrs. Bullen, I rode a two days’ journey from 
Kaikoura to Blenheim—ninety-five miles—and had an oppor- 
tunity of seeing Mr. Stace, who is in charge of the Starborough 
Run. Except in patches, there were comparatively few Rabbits 
to be seen south of the Clarence River on the other side of the 
** Lookers on.” The first real Rabbit-eaten country was reached 
on the further side of Flaxborne, but the poisoning had been 
going on, and but few Rabbits were to be seen. Starborough was 
in the same state. The hills and downs showed one large Rabbit- 
camp, and quantities of dead Rabbits. About a dozen rabbiters 
were employed on Starborough up to last year, when the number 
was reduced; but there are still some rabbiters employed. Last 
year about 400 Ferrets were turned out, but the distemper was 
fatal to considerable numbers. Myr. Stace tallied, in 1882, 
168,000 rabbit-skins, and in 1888, 311,000 rabbit-skins. The 
black and grey Rabbit takes the place of the silver-grey north of 
the Clarence. He fears that the land is not adapted to Ferrets ; 
it has a strong clay subsoil, has no bush or scrub whatever, but 
is entirely tussock, and has over a large portion little or no water 
in summer. The whole run contains over 35,000 acres, of which, 
perhaps, from 10,000 to 18,000 acres would be ploughable. 
While fully admitting the disadvantages to Ferrets of the 
absence of all shelter, other than the tussock-grass and water- 
holes, and Rabbit-burrows, and the still greater disadvantage of 
want of water, I think, from several things mentioned to me by 
Mr. Stace, he is premature in concluding that Ferrets will not 
give the results on his country which they have below. Whether 
