Report of Society's Meetings. 317 
July, as to the destruction of rats on plantations, was 
read : — 
Smythfield, 3rd July, 1882. 
The Hon. W. Russell. 
Sir,— I take the liberty of bringing to your notice a matter which, 
(though trifling in itself, may still be of some interest) regarding the rat- 
pest to which most of our estates, I fancy, are subject. 1 am led to do so 
from reading in the Daily Chronicle, some extracts on the " mon- 
goose" and the value of which it has proved itself in Jamaica since 
its introduction there on the sugar-estates. 
It recently came under my observation in certain fields aback of the 
estate on which I was that the stumps of trees which were scattered 
here and there throughout the comparatively new land and which had 
not quite decayed were in the evening, as also in the early morning, taken 
possession of generally by birds of prey such as buzzards and the 
smaller hawks, which are numerous out here. They were evidently watch- 
ing the trash-banks, and rats were their game. As arule we paid some $20 
a week for killing rats, but I noticed that in these fields we were par- 
ticularly free of them and suffered in no way from their depredations. 
It is a noticeable fact, at least it has been so with me, that we have 
few hawks out here such as those at home which hover over their prey 
on the wing, pouncing from a height on their quarry. The species here 
is more of the buzzard habit which lies in wait for its meal, and as I 
already said they are pretty numerous with us. I would therefore suggest 
as an experiment that posts or light spars should be planted here and 
there in fields as roosts for these birds, and I trust you may not think 
me chimerical in making it ; these posts could be very easily shifted 
at intervals and no large number would be required ; it could only be 
in fields newly cut, up to say three months of age, that the idea would 
be likely to answer when the posts would then of course be removed 
entirely. The cost in any case, however, would certainly not be great. 
I am, Sir, 
Your obedient Servant, 
FRA. A. TREW. 
On the motion of the chairman it was unanimously 
agreed that the thanks of the Society be given to Mr. 
RR 
