MORTALITY AMONGST RABBITS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1716, 18 January 1905, Page 64

MORTALITY AMONGST RABBITS

A remarkable degree of mortality occurred recently amongst the rabbits on the Queensland side of the wire-netted fence which acts as a barrier against the dreaded tick fever of the northern State (says a Sidney contemporary). The fence runs for &■ distance of about 300 miles, and it was noticed that whilst the ground was strewn with dead rabbits for miles along the Queensland side of it not one carcase could be seen on this side of the barrier. It is the duty of boundary riders to see that Queensland sheep and cattle are not brought into this State, without first being dipped or smeared, as a precaution against the dreaded "red water” or tick fever. They thought that possibly the rabbits were dying of tick fever, and reported their suspicions to the Lands Department. Inquiries were at once instituted with a view of ascertaining the facts of the case. A reassuring communication has now been received from the secretary to the Central Rabbit Board, Brisbane, to the effect that the inspector under the Central Rabbit Board had visited the locality, and had no hesitation in stating that the mortality among the rabbits was due entirely to exhaustion, starvation, and want of water. The inspector added that for 20 miles along the eastern boundary, and for a width of fully half a mile from the fence, there is not a vestige of feed, whilst most of the trees and shrubs are barked as far as the rabbits can reach. Rabbits are in thousands on this strip of country, and they follow the netting until they become exhausted, when they die in large numbers. Several of the rabbits were opened, but no trace of disease could be found.

Great Britain consumes more butter than any other nation. The average per head is thirteen pounds a year, as against eight pounds in Germany, four pound* in France, and two nounds in Russia.