RABBITS ON THE CHATHAM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14245, 20 June 1908, Page 12

RABBITS ON THE CHATHAM

Sir,—ln a copy of the Otago Daily Times to hand by the mail I notice a paragraph in which it is stated that the skeletons of two rabbits had been found on Chatham Island, and that -it was thought that they wero those of pets. It may be of interest to some of your readers to know that at one time rabbits could haw been found on these islands in fair numbers; but from some unexplained cause they have (so far as the Chat-hams are concerned) become ,'as extinct as -the moa. This is the more surprising when, from all appearances, everything was in their favour; there was an abundance of vegetation and. free sandj soil in mauy parts, but perjiaps the unadulterated air of the Pacific proved too much for them. However, the fact remains that there is not a rabbit left on these islands—a consummation devoutly to be desired in all sheop farming communities. The rest of the paragraph referred to goes on to state that wild pigs eat tho young lambs. This is true in some few instances, but tJks losses from this causo aro infinitesimal. As to the last statement, that cattle destroy some of the vegetation, it is obvious that in order to live they niu6t oat what vegetation they can get, but I have not heard of any native plants having fan exterminated by them. I may add that the I'hormium teuax growing on three islands contains so little fibre that its destruction by stock is of no consequence.— 1 am, etc., Ex-Otago. Chatham Island, Juno 6.