CARNIVORA 



95 



into shingle slopes, because when once the face is so bared and its surface 

 broken, it begins to slip. 



Mr Petrie also refers to this process in his report as follows: 



The soil on the grass-denuded slopes, which is by no means infertile, 

 being no longer held together by the roots of plants, is being rapidly 

 removed by wind and rain, and pebbles and angular stones are now closely 

 dotted over great stretches of hillside that not many years ago were covered 

 with soil. On the steeper slopes, indeed, the soil is being rapidly sluiced 

 down into the gullies and thence into the river, and deep, narrow, chasm- 

 like watercourses are being dug out. 



* Hare {Lepus europceus) 



The Otago Society liberated three in 1867, which they obtained 

 from Geelong, Victoria; one in 1869, and three in 1875. 



The Canterbury Society got one from Dr Macdonald of the ' Blue 

 Jacket,' and one from Captain Rose of the 'Mermaid' in 1868; and 

 four in 1873 from Messrs Wood Bros. 



The Auckland Society introduced two in 1868, and five in 1871. 

 The Nelson Society introduced some hares in 1872, and these in- 

 creased so rapidly as to become a nuisance in the district. The 

 Southland Society obtained some from the Victorian Society in 1869, 

 liberated two in 1871, and two in 1874, and 40 in 1887. These are 

 all the records I can find of importations from abroad, and considering 

 the casual manner and the small numbers in which they were intro- 

 duced, the subsequent increase is most remarkable. 



The first three introduced by the Otago Society were liberated 

 at Waihola, where two years later they were reported to be plentiful. 

 In Southland coursing was commenced in 1878. Hares soon spread 

 over all the flatter parts of the South Island, mostly about cultivations, 

 and in districts where rabbits were not abundant. They are common 

 from Cook Strait to Foveaux Strait. In the North Island they 

 spread south from Auckland, and the smaller acclimatisation societies 

 assisted to distribute them far and wide. Wellington Hberated two 

 in 1874, 14 ill 1875, ^^'^ ^°^^ i^ 1876, and in 1885 reported them 

 as "numerous in the vicinity of Wellington and the lower end 

 of the Wairarapa Valley." In more recent years they are reported 

 as in large numbers about Marton; increasing about Pahiatua, and 

 as seen in almost every part of the Eketahuna district. The Tara- 

 naki Society introduced them in 1876, and they were reported as 

 thriving in 1884. On Mount Egmont at the present time they 

 are common above the bush line and up to 6000 feet in the summer 

 months. 



In 1905 the Waimarino Society purchased and liberated a number, 



