RABBIT PESTREPORT ON THE PASTEUR EXPERIMENTS. Wellington, Nov. 3.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 314, 7 November 1888, Page 4

RABBIT PESTREPORT ON THE PASTEUR EXPERIMENTS. Wellington, Nov. 3.

The Government have received from Mr T-L D. Bell, the representative of New Zeaancl at the Intercolonial Commission on rabbit destruction, now sitting at Sydney, an interesting memo., in which he says Pasteur's experiments have demonstrated fully that fowl cholera can be communicated to rabbits either by feeding them with inoculated poultry or by infection. This, however, was already well known, and the experiments on the power of the disease to spread amongst rabbits resulted very differently. Pasteur's experts then domandfid permission to make further experiments in the open country, but this the Commission refu&e, preferring that the series of experiments it had planned should be triea first. The&e are now concluded, and the results may be roughly described as indicating that while the disease is sufficiently safe as regards ordinary domestic animals, it is almost as sure, under anything like natural conditions, to the rabbits themselves, while it ife very deadly when once the rabbits take it. It is anything: but convspicuous for facility in spreading among rabbits, either by infection or contagion, even under more favourable conditions than could bo obtained in the open country. This, however, is only a general resume of the results achieved, and the progress report will give more detailed information. When Mr Bell wrote, a new scries of experiments wero to be made at "Rodd Island which would be, as it were, half way between the laboratory and the open country. The results of theso would not be arrived at for at least six weeks, by which time Mr Bell would have returned to New Zealand. In conclusion, he says that, while the members and commissioners individually are almost dismayed to find the extent to which they have pledged themselves, they arc determined that their labours shall be carried to a conclusion, and the many questions under consideration thoroughly investigated. He says he has been greatly pres-ed to return to Sydney in January to take part in the work of tho Commission, and although he declined to pledge the Government he could but recognise that his withdrawal from the work at present can hardly be justified. Personally, however, he would prefer not to go again. "'Star " Correspondent.