FECUNDITY OF RABBITS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2145, 14 November 1885, Page 2

FECUNDITY OF RABBITS.

4Bmile waa raised amons; the "grave and reverend seignors" of the' Upper House of South Australia (says the Advertiser) on Tuesday afternoon, when the Hon. H. Scott, in speaking on tho Vermin Bill, astound ed the House with a calculation as to therapiditywifch which rabbits breed. He said it was well known that rabbits bred seven times'a year, bearing about five young ones each time, and they commence breeding when five or six months old, the term of gestation being from 30 to 31days. From these facts he raised the followingcalculationsastu the progeny of one doe: —First year-One doe breeding seven times, five each time—3s, of which 17 would be does, with an averago breeding of 3£ times, five yong each—--292, making a total of 328 for the first ye,ar, Second year—Of the 328, assume 164 females, each producing 328—54,112, ' or a total in the first two years of 54,440. Third year-Of the 54,440 asaurae27,22o females, each producing 328—8,928,160. Fourth year-Of the 8,928,160 assume 4,464,080 females, each producing 328 1,464,218,240. Mr Scott also took the number killed in 1883 451,343,106, and assumed 1,171,553 to be females, each producing 328, making a total of 484,269,384 rabbits which would, have been born had not death overtaken the unfortunate parents.