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I would not stop it. I believe they do their share when they get in a wild state. My experience is that in the winter months they travel to a warmer place. I have known them to come from over the hills and take up their quarters in the kitchen. I do not think you would find stoats and weasels doing that. 419. Do you think ferrets are worth to the country the money which the Government have paid for them ?—I should say to the contrary; but that nlay be for want of proper experience. 420. Captain Bussell.] You told us just now you had to shut off 700 acres :if it had been made a legal fence, how would you look at it ?—lt is a very difficult thing to decide. 1 suppose it would be like all other fences—you will have to give and take. 421. Suppose you had two neighbours who would not agree to the line of fence, would not the line of fence, under those circumstances, be somewhat different to an ordinary fence ?—I do not know ; I have it put up in. a very awkward piece of country. It would have to be done under the give-and-take system. 422. Well, suppose that the wire fence was legal, how would it affect the small settler?—lt would have to be done under the give-and-take line. 423. Hon. Mr. Pharazyn.] Do you find the Inspectors persevering in your district ?—Yes; I think so. They have always been attentive. I have no fault to find with them. They have troubled me very little lately. 424. We have had it stated that they are in a measure mischievous ? —That is not my experience. 425. I suppose it depends upon the people?— Yes. I have not given the department any trouble as to any increase in rabbits. 1 know if I did not keep the rabbits down they would very soon keep me down, and I work accordingly. There are now comparatively very few, except in one portion of the run. 426. They did not suggest any.other method than that you were using?— No. 427. Mr. Buchanan.] Over the bulk of your country, where there are no roads, the question of fencing off the rabbits would be very different where there are numerous roads, how would it act if the wire netting were made legal?— Well, generally, where there are roads there are boundarylines laid down for fencing, and where a road can be made a fence can be erected. 428. I refer more to expense ? —lt is not so costly as you suppose. 429. Added to existing fences, what would it cost per mile ?—lt is very much cheaper now than formerly. 430. It could not be done, including labour, much under £50 per mile?— Perhaps not. It depends greatly on the locality. 431. You told us what was spent in getting stoats and w reasels, can you tell us what you can get them at per head now ?-—Mine cost me £3 to £4. 432. How many did you turn out?—3o3, 12, 18, 125—458 in all. 433. Can you give us any information as to their breeding since you turned them out ? —There w Tas very little breeding the first two years. My own shepherd told me he had found a nest with eight in. 434. Mr. Lance.] Weasels or stoats ?—I could not say. 435. Hon. the Chairman.} You turned out both ?—Yes. 436. Have you any recommendations to make as regards stoats and weasels ?—We have not had an opportunity of determining the action of either ; but the stoat, so far as I can gather, is more active than the weasel. I have seen large rabbits bitten behind the ear, which I believe had been done by a stoat. 437. Have you heard of any distemper among them? —Nothing at all. They have been trapped and found perfectly healthy. I did find one dead—a young one—but could not account for its death. 438. Would you imagine it might have been killed by eating a dead lark ?—I do not think so: there was no poisoning going on at the time. They might have got it from some of my neighbours, but I think this is most improbable. 439. You do not think the stoats and weasels bred the first two years?— Not many. Now we begin to see them occasionally. 440. And you know that they are breeding now ?—Yes. 441. Mr. Duncan.] You said there was one part of your run where the rabbits were prettyplentiful? —Yes. 442. What is the character of that country?—lt is dry land and rubbly country. 443. Is there any way of getting on that part ? —Yes. 444. Hon. the Chairman.] Have you ever known a case where a sheep has been bitten by a stoat or weasel ? —I think it is a mistake to suppose so ; I have never heard of it, and do not believe it. 445. You consider stoats and weasels are hardier than ferrets?— Yes; and it is very difficult for the rabbiter to catch them. 446. You disapprove of traps?— Yes. 447. Mr. Colemau Phillips told us that his experience taught him that traps with blood left on them acted as a kind of magnet for the natural enemy. Do you think that is so? —No doubt the sense of smell of both weasel and stoat is very great, and their powers of tracking very remarkable; while the blood is fresh on the traps it would have a great tendency to attract them, but not when the blood was dry and some days old.