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1509. There is an objection to bring them out on the passenger-ships on account of the smell ? —They complained very much of the smell of the polecats that were imported for me; but, very fortunately, they went overboard. If a few were established they would ruin all our troutstreams. The polecat is a fisher. It is almost indistinguishable from a large dark-coloured ferret; and these ought to be carefully examined, and if any polecats are found amongst them they should be destroyed. They make up their homes on the banks-of streams, and live on fish, with a variety of other food. 1510. Could not the difficulty with the vessels be got over? —Yes, I should think so. It is a pity to stop stoats and weasels. There are a great many other animals—the hedgehog, for example —that are not objected to, which could be imported. The hedgehog eats up young rabbits, and the different kinds of owls would relieve us of the small-birds nuisance, and kill many young rabbits. We want all sorts of animals. I would also recommend the destruction of rabbit-burrows wherever found. Babbits will always come back again, no matter whether you fumigate or poison.

Fbidat, 18th June, 1886. Mr. Oebell, Inspector under the Sheep and Eabbit Act for Wairarapa South and part of Wairarapa North, examined. 1511. Hon. the Chairman.] Have the rabbits been a great nuisance in your district?— Yes. 1512. Since you have been there have they increased or diminished ?—They have diminished. There are three portions of my district now in which they are practically reduced to a minimum. 1513. When did you take charge of this district? —Three years ago. 1514. The rabbits were very bad when you arrived ? —Yes. 1515. And you cannot say what the original carrying-capacity of the district was? —No. Around us the grazing-capability a few years ago upon a run was six thousand, and it has increased to seventeen thousand. / 1516. Therefore the rabbits must be reduced so as not to be a nuisance ?—ln about two-thirds of the district the rabbits have practically been reduced to a minimum. 1517. "What means have been used in the district for getting rid of them?— Poisoning with phosphorized grain, turning out the natural enemy, fumigating with bisulphide of carbon, and trapping'and dogging, and destroying burrows and warrens. 1518. Is poisoning carried on all the year round ?—ln some places; but some settlers do not care so much about summer poisoning as they do - about winter poisoning ; but last summer people have been successful by turning over a furrow with a plough and laying poison, also turning the sod. 1519. Does the turning-up of the sod or ploughing have any other effect than that of attracting the rabbits? —That is all. They come to any ground which is freshly turned up. 1520. And from your experience, when ground is so turned the rabbits will take poison in the summer ? —Yes. 1521. Was there the same result in poisoning in the summer where the ground was not so turned up?—No; and they will not take it so readily in summer as they will in winter. 1522. Is there much trapping and hunting with dogs?— Yes, in places. 1523. Is that at the wish of the owner or by direction of the Inspector? —At the wish of the owner. 1524. Do you call upon the owner to adopt any particular method of eradicating the rabbits?—• No ; he chooses his own mode. 1525. Do you call upon them to poison at particular times of the year ?—We go round and urge them to poison during the winter months. We do not direct them to do so. 1526. You do not send them notices to commence poisoning? —No. 1527. Do you not think simultaneous poisoning is very necessary? —Yes. 1528. Do you not think, therefore, it is necessary to send notices to all owners to poison simultaneously ? —We go round, and in conversation we advise them to poison, and suggest that they should do it simultaneously. 1529. Have you authority to give them notice to begin at a certain time?—We have power to serve notices on them to destroy, but not to tell them any direct mode. 1530. Have you any authority under the Act to call upon them to kill rabbits at a certain time, so that all are simultaneously killing?—We ask them to do so. 1531. Is that because you find them all so perfectly willing to do it ?—Yes; they are quite willing to lay poison during the winter. 1532. Do you find that, notwithstanding your request, some of them do not do it?— During spring and summer months some of them do not care about taking efficient steps. 1533. But your experience is that you have no necessity to send peremptory notices ?—We send the notices at first to destroy the rabbits, but not to adopt any particular means. It has never come under my notice that they have objected to poison. 1534. Then you have never instructed them to put on rabbiters with dogs ? —No. 1535. What animals have been turned out in the Wairarapa ? —Ferrets, stoats, weasels, and cats. 1536. Which do you consider to be the best ? —Stoats and weasels. Mr. Eiddiford has turned out a good number of stoats and weasels. 1537. Can you say whether these latter are fairly acclimatized and are breeding?—l believe