14 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
March, 1923 
away the paling fences, and the rabbits got a sicatter on. 
bnt still they were in a measure [>rotected, and as a 
special favour my uncle presented a le-w pairs to ditfereirt 
station-Iiolders in the colony." Tliree years afterwards 
they wei‘e reported as * 'becoming a pe^t" (,26). An inter- 
es-ting item on tliis subject appeared in "Tlie Yeoman'’ 
newspaper (Melbourne) of 7th duly, 1865. It read: '‘i\Ir. 
Austin, of Ilarwon J^ark, mentions the extraordinary 
fecundity of the luvbbit in this colony. Six years ago he 
turned out tliiHeen. Since then tiieir ]>rogeny has in- 
creased to such an extent that he lias killed off his estate 
20, ()()(). and he (umiputes that tJiere must be on hi^ pro- 
pei'ty, and in tJie iieighbourhood, at least 10.000.’’ In 
the year 1864 we read of a gentlenuni having a large 
number of KngUsh wild rabbits — ''p*‘‘tbably two or three 
thousamr’ — in a warren near Sydney ("The Brisbane 
Coiiriei*," 27th July. 1864). These rahl>its, tlie original 
stock of wliich may have been obtained fi’om "\detoria. 
do not appear to liave J^ny eonnecrion with the over- 
running of Australia, wJiich seems to ha\‘e started from 
Barwon l^ark. The late W. W. Hood, an authority on 
the rabbit question, told the writer tliat rabbits were 
turned loose in different [>ai-ts of Victoria befoi’e they 
increased fi-om liar'woii Park, hut they did not flourish. 
These were probably domesticated kinds. The wild ones 
spread over Victoria rapidly and crossed the Murray 
River into Soufli Australia aluml 1878. They Invaded 
Xew Soiitli Wales ahonl 18S0. ami Queensland aho'nt flNe 
years later. Fn)m South Australia tliey (uitered the 
Xorthern 'renutory and Western Auslrajia. Vajitaju 
S. A. Wliite. file well-known ornithulogi>?t and explorer, 
informed tlie "writer tlial the wild natives met with on 
his exp('di’ti'(tns in the interior of Western Australia, 
"those who had never come in contact witli wliitcs before, 
sfumied vei*y pii/zled about the rabbits, and said they 
were a new kind of opossum which came from the Bast, 
pointing in that direction. They would not toucli them at 
first, 1)111 now tliey looked upon them as good eating." 
Introduction Into Queensland. — About two veal’s 
after its* foundation, the Queensland Ac’climatisation 
Scxdety, in 1864, set aho’nt introducing tlie sii\'er-gr(\\' 
rabbit into Queensland. Tliar no danger A\'as ai)pi‘ehendod 
from this domesticated rabbit is e\’idenced from the fact 
that the lion. Secretary offered 2s. per head for tlu' fii'st 
half-dozen bred in the colony (‘‘Brisbane Courier.’’ 27th 
July. 1864). The foIloKvibg year a jiroposal to turn loose 
