NATIVE BIRDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21179, 28 October 1938, Page 6

NATIVE BIRDS

GREATER MEASURE OF PROTECTION By Telegraph —Press Assoclattop WELLINGTON, October 27. An arrangement has been come to between the Departments of Agriculture and Internal Affairs which should lessen the toll by poisoning of native birds, pheasants and other game birds. Instead of phosphorised pollard for the destruction of rabbits in a large part of the wide area of the Rotorua Acclimatisation district, turnips and carrots soaked in a solution of strychnine will be used. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W. E. Parry) said to-day that he felt that the new method of dealing with the rabbit pest would not only save many hundreds of native and game birds, but would be as efficacious in killing rabbits as phosphorised pollard. “I suppose it would be a rare find.”, remarked Mr Parry, “to come across a regular game sportsman who had not at some time, when travelling over the fields of the north, found a pheasant or two poisoned by eating phosphorised pollard. The game branch of the Department of Internal Affairs has been trying for many months to bring about a change of poison for rabbits and this has now happily been decided on.”