DESTRUCTION OF RABBITS IN NEW ZEALAND. 333 
cure. I prefer this danger to the introduction of the fox or 
wolf tribe. 
There is some talk of this rabbit-disease attacking man in 
the form of hydatid. So it will. Hydatid from sheep attacks a 
few persons in Australia. Hydatid from the dog attacks a few 
of the Iceland people. I do not think much of these things. 
People cannot give up eating rabbit or mutton, or keeping dogs. 
To do that is the true remedy for the alarmists, and it is 
impracticable. 
I would repeat that Professor Thomas does not draw the 
same conclusions from the mode of conquest of the pest in the 
Wairarapa that I draw. The winter poisoning had little or no 
effectuality. The ferrets worked well only in isolated places ; in 
other places they would not live at all. But the three things 
acting in combination—viz., the poisoning, the natural enemy, 
and these diseases—effectually did the work of suppression. 
The poisoning swept off the millions ; the ferret, cat, stoat, and 
weasel ate the young ones left ; and then this bladder-worm and 
liver-rot attended upon all and completed the cure: but the 
poisoning itself was of little good. Herein it will be seen that 
practical experience is better than scientific theory. I hope 
Mr. Thomas, after reading this paper, will amend his interim 
report in the proper direction. It is not because the tape-worm 
here may not be exactly the same tape-worm that sweeps off the 
jack-rabbit in North America that Sir James Hector was wrong 
in the application of the general principle. That principle is 
that the excess of every order of life is held in check by some 
particular worm. 
On the other hand, I must say that I saw far more from my 
ten years’ practical experience in reducing the pest than Gir 
James Hector or Professor Thomas could tell me about it. 
Combining these things with M. Pasteur’s proposals, I must be 
excused for doubting scientific conclusions. Sir James Hector 
proposes the introduction of the kit-fox here: I think such a 
step would be wrong and unnecessary yet awhile. My opinion 
is that the wolf and fox tribes are the natural enemies of the 
sheep. We are clear of sheep-fluke now in Australasia, and I 
have no wish to introduce it. The bladder-worm hydatid of the 
rabbit and sheep hydatid are luckily two distinct things. 
With respect to complete rabbit extermination, I wish to say 
