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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3563, 9 December 1882, Page 2

The new Rabbit Act appears to be stringent enough to effect the object of the measure. A few days ago, says a Southern coatemporary, an Otaso landowner was fined £1 and cosfs at the Police Court, Dunedin, for " not having taken such steps as, iv the opinion of the inspector, were necessary to destroy the rabbits in the shortest possible time. The defendant stated that steps had been taken by shooting, snaring, and poisoning immediately on receipt of the notice, and on October 19th six men had been kept shooting all day. His Worship said that by section 10 the Act contemplated one month as sufficient time to exterminate the rabbits, and that if after that time rabbits were ou the land a person was liable to a penalty whether he had taken steps to destroy them or not. The defendant appeared to have taken some steps to exterminate the nuisance after service of the notice, but not, however, sufficient step?. If, of course, the rabbits were not destroyed within a month of the date of conviction, tbe defendant would be liable to a further penalty. Six other defendants in the Taieri district were charged with similar offences, aud were each fined 20a and costs.

The wholesale destruction of sparrows and the small bird army in general by poisoned grain in the country districts (says the Wanganui Herald) has brought its reaction, and now the orchards and plantations swarm with the green beetle in myriads, more destructive in manner, it is said, than ever the sparrows were. Along the No. 2 Line the birds are now very 6P.arce, and insects in the meantime threaten to have the mastery. The birds required diminution, but their destruction appears to have exceeded all necessity, and they are looked upon more favorably than ever before.