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who would be responsible for killing the rabbits?—No; it is only by natural enemies that rabbits can be killed on this country. I may mention that wherever a run is bounded by waste lands the adjoining owner has been given a subsidy on account of the extra expense put to in killing the rabbits. 1660. Do you think it would be advisable for the Government to offer a bonus for rabbit-skins ? —Certainly not. 1661. Or to purchase skins at a fixed price?— No. As long as any value was attached to the skins the rabbits would be preserved to a. more or less extent. It would be an encouragement to farm rabbits, and would put a stop to poisoning at once. 1662. Can you state anything with regard to the carrying-capacity of your district ? —That has greatly improved. 1663. Have the rabbits permanently injured the feed ?—I think they have killed out a good many fattening herbs. I do not think the grasses have the same fattening qualities as they had before the rabbits came ; but, no doubt, some of these herbs will show up in the course of time again. They are showing up already in several places in my district. 1664. Would you recommend any assistance to tenants of the Crown with short leases ?—lf the rabbits are coming on from adjoining unoccupied ground he receives some compensation on account of the extra expense. Four years ago £1,000 was divided amongst those landholders who were put to extra expense. This year it came down to £125. Each year it has been getting less ; and as ferrets are turned out it will cease. 1665. Would you recommend the Government to give a rebate upon the rents in such cases ?— I think that would be far preferable to giving a bonus on the skins. I would either give them a longer lease or reduce the rent. 1666. You think they are entitled to that ? —I do. 1667. Is it hard upon the tenants with short leases?—lt is very hard on them, especially where high rents are being charged for the runs. 1668. Have you had any experience of wire-netting?—l have seen a considerable quantity of it used. 1669. What is your opinion of it ?—lt acts as a great check, but it is very apt to cause false security if people trust entirely to the wire-netting. It wants a man to go round two or three times a week to inspect it. In broken country it is always apt to be swept away by floods, and falling trees, and. wild cattle. It will not keep out rabbits altogether. 1670. Then you would be cautious in recommending it in particular cases? —Yes; the rabbits will get across in spite of whatever care is used. I have seen a rabbit myself crawl up a wire-netting. 1671. What height ?—About the height of a table. 1672. Was it pursued by dogs ?—I chased it on foot, and it ran up the netting with its feet. 1673. Hon. Mr. Holmes.~\ Would you recommend the importation of stoats and weasels by the Government for the purpose of breeding for distribution ? —lf they can be got at a reasonable price they would be preferable to ferrets for high and cold country. 1674. Is it not a fact that in imposing fines the Magistrates have always inflicted the minimum penalty of £1 ?—That was the penalty in the first three or four cases I had ; but I have got the full penalty of £20 in two cases. 1675. Should not the penalty be regulated by the size of the holding ?—As long as the maximum penalty is made higher, I would leave it to the Magistrate to fix the amount. 1676. Suppose a settler refused to take proper means to kill the rabbits, and was the holder of four hundred thousand acres, would £100 be too much? —Certainly not. We have always the power, if we see a man is determined not to kill, to put men on at his expense. 1677. It has been said that the increase of rabbits is largely due to the unoccupied lands not being attended to. Is that the case in your district ?—Certainly not. 1678. Will the rabbits increase in birch-forest ?—They will travel through it from one open part to another ; but they will not live in it entirely. 1679. Hon. Mr. Williamson.'] Do you think that occupiers of land are not sufficiently alive to their own interests to kill the rabbits without Government supervision ?—Many of them are not. ; 1680. Hon. Mr. Acland.] In regard to mixing the oats, you said that the oats should be properly heated and the phosphorus added. If poured in at the top of the cask will it go right through ? —Yes. It is put into a cylinder, and you revolve it. 1681. Mr. Buchanan.] This circumstance of a rabbit climbing over wire-netting is quite a new thing to me, although we have plenty of wire-netting in our district ?—This was the only case I have seen. I saw it with my own eyes. I was running the rabbit. I got off my horse to do so. If one will do it there is no doubt that others will do it. 1682. Have you heard from others anything that would lead you to suppose that this was done to any extent?— No. 1683. Going across the grass rabbits follow the same track continually, and if the rabbits made a practice of going over wire-netting in this way, do you not think they would make runs to particular places, and the tracks would appear on one side of the fence and would be continued on the other ? —Yes ; they would show in that case. A great deal depends, I should say, on the height of the wire-fencing. Two feet three inches was the height above ground in the present case. 1684. You know that rabbits habitually travel on the same runs—that is, they take to a run and stick to it; and if they were in the habit of going across wire-netting in this way the appearances would be certain to show ?—lf they came from a certain gully or warren they would go in runs ; but Ido not think they have any particular runs, as a rule, when going across a plain. Of course, where the rabbits are very thick it is a regular pad all over. 1685. Hon. Mr. Acland.] You know that hares are in the habit of having regular runs, even in countries where they are scarce ?—Yes ; but I have seen very little of hares for the last twentyfive years.