July i, m%] ftm TROPICAL 
from a naturalist's point of view, create a most 
lively apprehension from a planter's. 
Sending for our headkeeper, a most intelligent 
man, we gave him the Observer to read, and asked 
his experience of the habits of the rabbit tribe, 
desiring him to put it down in writing, and cannot 
do bettor than enclose the result, 
The same peculiarity as to growth of teeth men- 
tioned by the keeper in rabbits applies to rats, 
lock-jaw having been known to supervene with 
them when debarred by confinement or other causes 
from filing down their teeth by gnawing. 
On many estates at present hares are a serious 
pest, yet they possess no powers of multiplying, 
nor habits of gnawing, to compare with rabbits. 
As to nursing the latter into existence, once estab- 
lished, no human power can limit them to a special 
district, and the theory of your correpondent is that 
they will rind so much jungle food as to leave estates 
alone. But does he not overlook the leech question ? 
Compared with many countries, Ceylon is singularly 
devoid of ground vermin, most things take to 
living in the trees ; perhaps this is a clue. Leeches 
mayor may not be plentiful in Uva, but elsewhere 
we have scarcely heard of a jungle or " patana " 
in which they do not swarm. May it not safely 
be concluded that such haunts would be rendered 
as unbearable to rabbits, as they now are to cattle 
trying to graze ; and where else would the maddened 
rabbit run, but to the peaceful shelter of a cult- 
ivated estate ? Follow them to this estate: imagine 
the existing trouble of "wash" trebled by burrows 
all over the place, perhaps under the roots of the 
trees; their young shoots nipped; their stems prob- 
ably barked ; and let us enquire do we not already 
suffer enough from squirrels, hares, "borers," 
I helopeltis, &c., <fec, to risk to add the last straw? 
And for what compensating equivalent ? Eama- 
samy might like his curry strengthened; but if he 
had previously found his paddy-field devastated as 
English wheat and oats are by this interesting 
animal, his blessings might be read backwards. 
It may be that the satyr in the fields might 
frighten the rabbit from depredations ; it may be 
that snakes &c., would keep down his numbers 
(thereby adding to their own); it may be that he 
might not take to the climate — but duplicating 
almost as it does in places both that of England 
and Australia, this is hardly to be relied on; it 
may be that he would prove a blessing in dis- 
guise: but the chances are so slender, that, know- 
ing his ravages too well at home, we cannot too 
earnestly and emphatically implore the planters to 
leave a problem of natural history blank, rather 
than their own coffers. ENGLAND. 
RABBITS FOR UVA. 
The letter of " Uva Zoo-z jo " iu your issue of April 
l!Uh re the importatiouof rabbits into Uva (or indeed 
any part of Ceylon) is a subject that should have 
careful thought and attention before- being acted upou. 
Rabbits being rodents must have some exerciso for 
their front or cutting teeth besides that caused by 
mero mastication, or they will soon grow to an 
abnormal length even to the extraordinary one of 
one-nud-a-half inches, and curved back wards aft;r 
the manner of tho tushes of the wild boir which I 
havj frequently seen when through accident or 
otluiwiso thu grinding action provided by a bene- 
ficent uatnrc has been interfered with, consequently 
no matter how good or how rich their pasture may 
be they will, it young trees aro within their reach, 
nip off the young shoots for mischief if not for food. 
I do not say th>y would ring or bark the stem in 
Ceylon tlm same as they would do in a hard winter 
iu Kngland, but I fancy til ) loss to a young tren, of 
it* leader, would nearly l)n if nol equally as bad. ThM 
• nam Jet thum oiico gut firmly established mi l from 
their well-known fecundity, that would only be the ques- 
tion of a few years, you have a repetition of the New 
Zealand pest carrying devastation in its course and 
spreading year by year until it has acquired such 
magnitude that their destruction would bo regauled 
as a blessing. Having been from childhood familiar 
with rabbits and their habits, prompts me to reply 
in this strain to " Uva Zoo-zoo," to whom great credit 
must be given for his praiseworthy endeavour to intro- 
duce an animal that would be an acquisition to 
the food-producing animals of the island, if its 
acclimatization could be carried out without a risk of 
its* being a curse instead of a blessing. I think that 
of late years the planters have had sufficient draw- 
backs to contend with, without introducing another 
that might in all probability prove worse than any of 
its predecessors, Tho. Harrod, Head Keeper. 
[Anyone who has visited Australia and witnessed 
the incalculable damage and widespread ruin 
effected by burrowing rabbits would certainly not 
readily think of trying the experiment of intro- 
ducing the burrowing creatures into Ceylon. Even 
in the case of the pet domestic variety there is 
danger. A few days ago, on an estate near Nanu- 
oya, the renewal of the floor of a rabbit shed had 
to be stopped, because it was found that the rabbits 
had burrowed into the earth and had families of 
young in the holes. — But the idea of the observant 
naturalist who started the discussion was that as 
there is no valuable cultivation on the wide stretch 
of Uva patanas, while, unlike Australia, our native 
population is very numerous, there would be no 
risk of rabbits getting the upper hand. Still, after 
reading the above, we daresay "Zoo-zoo" and 
other planters will agree it is wisest not to make 
the attempt at introduction, though we heard the 
other day that application had already been made 
about the matter to the P. & 0. Agent. — Ed.] 
Cinnamon Culture. — Veyangoda, 14th June — 
Cinnamon peeling operations are in fall swing, but 
there seems to be a general paucity of peelers. Some 
account for it as the outcome of the sickly season; 
others say that there has been a general migration 
to the small Native Gardens, where the lines of the 
peelers are more pleasant, owing to their being able 
to get through more work, as quality in make is not 
insisted on (and this tueaus more pav), and where 
Coconuts, Jak, and vegetables are allowed gratis. 
N ither the one nor the other cause cau operate for 
long, and we hope in time to have sufficient peelers 
for our wants. In the meantime, the sticks tint 
could not be harvested last year owing to the failure 
of tho N. E. monsoon, are, with the weather we are 
now havmg, growing apace —ao^ much to be regrette I 
though in the face of the result of the last sales, 
when there was a rise in the price of the coarse 
qualities and a corresponding decline in the price of 
the hue qualities, If such a thing as unanimity is 
attainable amongst Cinnamon Planters, a rever-dou 
may bo possible to the old style of quilling Ciiii amon to 
suit the present requirements of the trad--, an i the 
making of fine Ciunamou, which had reaihed ridicu'ous 
lengths, abandoned. As formerly, only coar e sticks 
can be cut and the Ciunamou quilled to tl e size ot tho 
present 3--ds and 4ths — payment accordi glv. This 
will beuefit the peeler, as be will be able to get thr ugh 
more work ; and tho Planter, as he cau harvest his ciop 
duriug the season, and not as now all through thu 
■\ ear, giving the bush no time for development, If tho 
trade his had a surfeit of dainty dishes of superfine 
t'inuimou, aud wants as a corrective plain, coarse 
Cinuainon, suit their healthy tastes, I say, with plenty 
of coarse Ciuuamou aud — I say it with fear — chips.*—" 
l,oe il '• I'Wainiuer." 
* This would rueau a larger outturn, and as spice if 
not an article the demand for which grow* .>pi c. 
there would be a further fall iu price, gNifMI DDI 
boiuc strong bolder*.— 15l>. "I's" 
