RABBITS IN THE WAIRARAPA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2865, 5 April 1888, Page 3

RABBITS IN THE WAIRARAPA.

Professor Thomas' Mission,

Irapftowu to oar readers that there is aFpresent on a visit to this district, Professor Thomas, who holds the chair of Biology at the Auckland University, and who, we may add, is familiar to most agriculturists in England in connection with his successful researches, under the auspices of the Royal Agricultural Society, into the origin and modes of prevention of liver fake in sheep. It is also known that 'lie is here with the object of inquiring into a certain disease with which it is said that übiquitous pest, the rabbit, is infected. This much, as we observe, our

readers are familiar with, but it may justly he considered that in a matter of such vital interest not only to our

immediate selves but to the whole

Colony, there is a desire for a fuller / knowledge of what steps are being jL taken in the connection named, and with what end in view. Therefore, admitting the force of this, our representative to-day waited upon Professor Thomas to see if he would he disposed to afford any particulars which would give some idenK what was being done. In response, that gentleman very kindly gave a conversational sketch of the circumstances which had led to his visit, and also of his impressions and experiences up to the present stage of his experiments. He also embodied , information on several other equally important subjects, and which, together with the main subject, we refer to below.

WHY THE 00YEKX5IEXT INSTRUCTED HIM* It lias for some time past been reported to the Government by persons injj the Wairarapa, that the rabbits were suffering from disease, time their numbers were steadily decreasing, and also that it might be inferred that the •flection alluded to was, at any rate to forae extent, the cause of the diminishment. The complaint to which particular reference was made was the one known as" Rabbit Fluke," This is a disease which consists of the growth of a bladder, first small and then,ijKjreasing to the size of a man's fist,( Jp various parts of the rabbit, more especially on any of the muscles. These bladders solely contain tapeworms in an embryonic stage, and as many as three hundred and fifty germs have been found in what Professor Thomas termed " a fine specimen," Now the maintenance of this abnormal growth, to say nothing of the rapid development of the tapeworm occupants of it, is a great tax upon the unfortunate victim, and it speedily impoverishes the rabbit, injuriously affects those organs in proximity to it, and the ultimate result is that the animal wastes away and dies, The average time from when the rabbit is attacked, to when Submits to the inevitable, is said to nreabouttwo or three months. In describing this affection, we have rather gone away from the first part of our subject, which was to explain that, because of the existence of this owing to the recognised fact tw the rabbits are decreasing here, Professor Thomas was deputed by the Government to visit the tVairarapa, and observe and verify the connection between the two, also to note any other attributes to the diminution, and, from what he sees and learns, report upon the best and safest means of dealing with the rabbit pest in this and other districts, having in view the propagation of such diseases or treatments, as may be found to have a baneful influence on the rabbit. Thus he came to the Wairarapa.

HIS EXPERIMENTS AND INVESTIGATION'S. Professor Thomas has ascertained beyond a doubt that the rabbits have been gradually and regularly decreasing in various localities, Anyone who was in this district five years ago, and t -sto is here now can recognise this. One instance will illustrate it. A few years ago we knew of no less than 700 rabbits being driven into a net in thevicinity of the Waingawa bridge and then knocked on the head with sticks. Mow, fifty would be a good muster n? such a way. Of course it is at the same time admitted that in the back and rougher country there is not so much difference, and also that civilisation and constant harassing have something to do with the decrease elsewhere. The professor found the fluke existing among the rabbits as described, and also at least three other parasitic and more or less fatal diseases, and all of which seem to have had something to do with the rabbits' decrease. These latter diseases he will study at his liesure, ascertain their exact nature, and report on them to the Government, One of them, he thinks, is even more disastrous to the rabbit than the fluke disease, and strange to say is an epidemic which, in England, where it also exists, he was the first to discover. It was found at Home that the rabbits were dying in the fields in great numbers, and at that time the cause , Bg However, Professor v Jpiniasrwhen conducting his sheep iluke investigations for the Royal Agricultural Society, also gave tins rabbit complaint some attention, with the result that he ascertained, and made known to the scientific world, its nature, lit, might here also be mentioned that a somewhat similar affection to the rabbit fluke is prevalent among sheep at Home, and which, when it attacks the brain and causes the staggers, is known as" the gid" or" sturdy." It is quite possible, and even likely from this, that rabbit fluke in some cases also attacks thebrain, The earliest reliable knowledge of the existence of fluke in the Wairarapa dates back six years, while another authority, less certain, recognises it as having prevailed twelve years ago. ME PROPAGATION OF A RABBIT DISEASE. Therem as Professor Thomas ob- . served, many points, which should be considered before diseases are introduced with the object of destroying rabbits. Of courso it is known to everyone that an epidemical affection like chicken cholera may vary in degree l from mild to virulent, and also that oi Jpself it may have for a time a were

offect, but that sooner or later it will, liko its victims, die a natural death.' Thus, alone and without artificial cultivation diseases among rabbits, however fatal, will bo by no means annihilating. It follows that scientific. means for the multiplication of the- epidemic must be systematically adopted and it is before resorting to these that the offect of tho diseases, not only on the subjects themselves, but upon surrounding objects of animal life must be considered. First, it must he ascertained whether the complaint is of such a nature as to he sufficiently destructive and fatal.to rabbits as to be worth spreading. Next, it must be seen whether it will injuriously affect human beings, livo stock, sheep-dogs, birds, domestic animals, etc. If it complies favorably with both stipulations, then it must be recognised as a valuable agent, and one which in skilful hands can be very advantageously applied, EXPERIMENTS « 1(1 PASTEUR, Professor Thomas has not been idle while he has been in Masterton. He has secured numerous rabbits illustrating in various stages the fluke and at least three other diseases, before referred to. He has also in his possession a number of wild cats and ferrets, for these animals are known to eat with avidity the tape worm bladders which are attached to rabbits having the fluke disease. They in fact look upon this portion as a sort of tit-bit. Well, as mentioned, the professor has made this collection of animals, and intends taking it to Auckland with him, for which town he leaves to-day. There he can take his time and carefully ascertain the nature of each of the rabbit diseases, and he can also see if they are at all hurtful to the other subjects of Ins menagerie, the cats, ferrets, etc. To make sure that the latter are infected he can inoculate them with the germs. This, we are informed, is Professor Thomas' intended action, and as soon as he has arrived at definite conclusions, which may be in a month or so, he will report fully to the Government, and if circumstances justify it, indicate in what way the diseases which exist among the rabbits may he utilised lor the good of the land-holders, the country they occupy, and tho colony at large. In conclusion, we may remark that of course there are points upon which Professor Thomas has not informed us, as he very properly considers that his first decisive and exhaustive report is one which should he made to the Government; indeed, we may say that he expressed his ability to, if the Minister desired it, at once give an interim report which would embody his opinions as regards the intensity of the diseases, and also as to their value as rabbit eradicating agents, leaving only the question oi distribution or propagation to be dealt with later on.