E.—l6
5
(5.) £20. (6.) Native, Hapuka, Kincaid, South Bay and Peninsula, North and South Beach, and unsold Crown lands; area, about 4,000 acres; available for grazing, about 600 acres. (7.) 401b. (8.) None. (9.) 701b. (10.) 20,000. (11.) Three, under section 29. (12.) Two. (13.) One. (14.) None. (15.) For sale, five; runholders, for turning out, four. (16.) About 1,200; results excellent. Eight weasels have also been turned out. General Remarks. —The rabbit pest is held well in check. The natural enemy is the principal means of this satisfactory result. All dealing in ferrets, except by licensed breeders, should be made illegal. The poisoning of Crown lands has been zealously carried out.
From Babbit Inspector Bees, Timaru. (1). Dogs and gun. (2.) The turning-out the natural enemies of the rabbit in as large numbers as possible ; and granting the right of using all reserves to private individuals, who shall be responsible for keeping down the rabbits on such reserves. (3.) Most satisfactory progress has been made, the rabbits having been got under most wonderfully in all portions of the district except a small patch on the Bangitata Island, where poison must now be employed. (4.), (5,) None. (6.) Certain small reserves on the Bangitata Island (area small), and the unoccupied. Crown lands between Bichmond and Mesopotamia and Mount Peel Stations. Area large; but rabbits only in patches. (7.) 21b. (8.) None. (9.) One case, 301b. (10.) Unknown. (11.), (12.), (13.), (14.) None. (15.) Three or four. (16.) Very few, and effects not known. General Remarks. —The diminution of the rabbit pest through the Mackenzie Country and other adjoining portions of this South Canterbury District is very marked. They {i.e., rabbits) increased during the summer on Bangitata Island, but since shearing are again being well got under by dog, gun, and ferret, and the island will be now well poisoned. The state of the South Canterbury District, as compared with when I took charge in July, 1883, is most satisfactory.
From Babbit Inspector Fullabton, Oamaru. (1.) Phosphorized oats, dogging, shooting, trapping, ferreting, fumigating, and digging out. (2.) The penalties at present under the Babbit Nuisance Act for breaches of it should be greatly increased for large properties. (3.) Very good progress has been made over the district with the exception of a portion of the Horse Bange, in the south of the county, where a difficulty has been met in getting one owner to comply with the Act during summer. (4.) Two. (5.) £68. (6.) Six, consisting of poor land, rough and broken, with gullies, having scrubby bush in most of them. Area about 5,160 acres; two-thirds available for grazing. (7.) None.' (8.) 1501b. (9.) None. (10.) Through Customs, 24,534. (11.) One. (12.) One. (13.), (14.) None. (15.) One. (16.) Yes; also a few stoats and weasels. Babbits decreased where turned out. General Remarks. —The rabbit pest in the Waitaki County is confined almost entirely to the rough, broken pastoral land at the southern end and up the Waitaki, and there mostly where the country is very broken or has a good deal of scrub. On the whole the pest has been greatly decreased. The simultaneous action taken during last winter has had a very marked effect in the localities where carried out properly,, and the pest has been easily kept under during summer.
From Babbit Inspector Milleb, Palmerston South. (1.) Simultaneous poisoning in winter; trapping, shooting, and ferreting during summer; fumigating and digging out. (2.) None. (3.) Progress of a most satisfactory nature. (4.) Nine. (5.) £98. (6.) Nine; about 3,000 acres, great portion of which is bush land. (7.) None. (8.) 1931b. (9.) 3331b. (10.), (11.), (12.), (13.), (14.) None. (15.) Five. (16.) There are some known to be out, but results not yet noticed. General Bemarks. —The work in the Waikouaiti and Waihemo Districts has been carried on in a satisfactory way during the last twelve months, and there has been no occasion to prosecute.
From Babbit Inspector Johnson, Dunedin. (1.) Phosphorized grain during the winter; trapping, dogging, and shooting through the summer. (2.) Consider the Babbit Act as it now stands could not be improved on. (3.) Very good indeed up to December, 1884. (See general remarks at end.) (4.) Two. (5.) £38. (6.) Two : Hundreds (Hindon and Mount Hyde), area 13,765 acres; Native Beserve, area 1,100 acres. The whole of the Hindon and Mount Hyde Beserve available for grazing purposes. (7.) 101b. (8.) 301b. (9.) 1801b. (10). 7,014,993. _ (11). One. (12.) One. (13.) None. (14.) No properties dealt with under section 11. (15.) Six. (16.) Unable to say how many have been turned out. Besults not noticeable. General Remarks. —Up to the middle of December, 1884, work in the Taieri portion of the Dunedin Babbit District was carried on most satisfactorily. Since then lam unable to report what has been done, having been absent in charge of the Canterbury District.
From Babbit Inspector Shaw, Naseby. (1.) During the winter months poisoned grain; for the remainder of the year dogging, shooting, trapping, and bisulphide of carbon, and digging out burrows. (2.) None. (3.) Great progress has been made during the year to eradicate the pest; the grass being very abundant throughout the country, and the stock looking remarkably well. (4.) One. (5.) About £5. (6.) Township Eeserve, Hyde; about 600 acres. On all other reserves the rabbits are kept down for right of grazing, either by runholders or settlers. (7.) None. (8.) None. (9.) None. (10.) 326,508. (11.) None. (12.) None. (13.) None. (14.) None. (15.) Five. (16.) On Linburn over two hundred have been turned out, with fair results. On Taieri Lake Station one hundred were turned out, and they are doing good service, as the return of skins on this station is 9,000 less than last