456 CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES 



Economic status of the rabbit. — The wild rabbit causes incalculable 

 losses to agriculture and forestry by destruction of trees, crops and banks, 

 by carrying disease, by souring the ground, and by changing the botanical 

 composition of pastures in an unfavourable manner. Its low nutritive 

 value makes it an expensive form of food ; it is frequently infested with 

 tapeworm, coccidiosis and other parasitic diseases ; and the flesh has the 

 unwholesome feature that it contains the blood, whence its red colour as 

 compared with that of the domestic or Ostend rabbit. 



On the other hand, wild rabbits are a source of profit to furriers, felt-hat 

 manufacturers, trap -manufacturers, game-keepers and professional rabbit- 

 trappers ; moreover unsuccessful farmers often prize their rabbits. 

 Prosecutions for poaching wild rabbits are fairly frequent. 



It is not difficult to exterminate rabbits when co-ordinated action is taken, 

 but when ground has been cleared it is usually reinfested from neighbouring 

 ground. The fact that rabbits have a market value prevents the general 

 adoption of drastic means such as cyanide fumigation for exterminating 

 them, especially in years of relatively small abundance when prices rise. 



Methods of killing wild rabbits. — This subject has been clouded by con- 

 troversy between persons who object to the gin trap on account of its cruelty, 

 and game-preservers and others who are anxious to defend its use. The 

 facts appear to be as follows. The gin trap is the most profitable means for 

 taking rabbits for the market ; as a means for keeping down rabbits it is, 

 however, inefficient. Cyanide fumigation (with Cyanogas, Cymag or Calcid) 

 is the most efficient means for keeping down rabbits, but yields no profit 

 from sales. It kills humanely, and half-gassed animals do not suffer from 

 after-effects. The poisoned rabbits are not harmful if eaten. Being highly 

 poisonous it requires careful handling, but in practice casualties do not 

 occur when it is used in the open air. It is applicable in all cases in which 

 a trap could be set in a hole. The foregoing remarks do not necessarily 

 apply to fumigants other than cyanide fumigants. Other methods such as 

 snaring, long-netting, ferreting and spot-lighting yield heavy catches but 

 are not universally applicable. Pit-traps and smooses are suitable mainly 

 for wired-in warrens. Shooting is restricted by law, and shot rabbits fetch 

 relatively low prices in consequence of damage to the pelts. 



Humanitarian aspect and need for scientific inquiry. — The gin trap is in- 

 humane, and it is desirable that the sacrifice, if any, which the community 

 would make in abjuring this instrument should be authoritatively assessed. 

 The Mersey Committee of the House of Lords formulated a compromise 

 between conflicting opinions and interests, and the time at its disposal did 

 not permit of a thorough investigation into matters of fact. There is need 

 for an experimental and quantitative investigation into the relative merits 

 and ecological effects of the principal methods of dealing with mammals that 

 are harmful to agriculture. 



Arising out of Captain Hume's communication and the discussion which 

 followed, the delegates passed the following resolution : 



That the Council of the British Association be requested to represent 

 to His Majesty's Minister of Agriculture and to His Majesty's Secretary 

 of State for Scotland the necessity of instituting an enquiry to ascertain 

 the effects, in respect of efficiency, economic reactions, and humaneness, 

 of available methods of dealing with rodents and other wild mammals 

 that affect agriculture. 



