STOATS AND WEASELS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 827, 27 May 1910, Page 2

STOATS AND WEASELS.

"VERMIN OF THE WORST KIND."

t t. AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. 3l- ' n- The harm which stoats and weasels are alleged to do to native and imported ■to feathered game was the .subject of an us interesting discussion at the meeting of >st the Wellington Acclimatisation Society on 'a- Wednesday. Mr. J. J. Devine said that both of tho IS ' pests were doing a lot of damage all over tho country, including the-society'sgame park. If it had not been that'for two successive years a settler near the farm had killed 100 stoats and weasels each i] year, the feathered game at' the farm would most certainly have suffered to a much greater extent. He was not at liberty to mention tho name of the settler in question, but, in his estimation, he had shown himself to bo a great -* friend to the society. When stoats and weasels were imported it was thought that they would reduce the number of rabbits, but instead of being useful in that regard they did nothing but prey on native and imported feathered game, as well as a great nuisance to poultry -farmers and settlers. He could only describe stoats and weasels a,s verminvermin of the worst kind. It was quite absurd that such animals should be protected by law. That they "poached" trout, too, there could be no doubt. Ho had himself seen a stoat watching for trout, and every now and again diving its claw into the water as a fish went by. Ho wished to move as under:—"That this meeting calls upon the Government to relax the law prohibiting tho destruction of stoats and weasels, with a view to tho preservation, not only of native game, but also imported game." Mr. Tripp (the chairman) said that the council had previously passed a resolution to a similar effect. Mr. Devine: But this is a public meeting. Mr. Tripp: Yes, it will do good. Mr. K. (',. Bruce (Kangitikei) said that for many years he contended that the rat was the animal which birds had most to fear. Up till lately he never knew of a fowl of any kind being attacked by stoats and weasels. But he did know __ that stoats and weasels did kill rats. ~* There was now, however, cumulative testimony from the South Island that J both stoats and weasels had adopted the ji habit of climbing trees after birds. Only " that day the Hon. T. Mackenzie had told him that stoats and weasels climbed to ii the top of tho highest trees in the other island after fowl of various .kinds. It ,j would appear, therefore, that it was only i a question of a very short 'time before tho forests of the South Island would contain no birds at all. A remarkable fact was that the stoate and weasels did not attack feathered gamo in tho North Island. Ono of his neighbours (Mr. Simpson) had never lost a single one of the large number of feathered game on his property, although there was a numerous colony of stoats and weasels in the locality. There could be no doubt ;■ also that both of the pest? "poached" trout. One of his friends had seen a , weasel with a trout in its mouth. Of course, it would now in a very hard thing to check the depredations of stoats , and weasels—it was like locking the door after the' steed had gone. The motion was then approved.