polygamous state, he declares, because of the spring-trap and the poison-cart, and he adds that it would be impossible for them to be in a polyandrous state and a pest, so that the great object is to destroy the balance of sexual power in favour of the bucks. He has found from experience that present methods of destruction kill more males than females, the result being that the rabbits that are not caught live in a polygamous state; the females become more prolific, and produce more females than males.  He suggests that rabbits should be trapped, the females killed, and the males liberated (the latter first having half the near ear cut off so that the fact will be known if they are caught a second time). Mr. Rodier has forwarded photos of the boundary fence of Tambua, which are very striking. In sending them for use in THE RED FUNNEL, he writes”- “When it is taken into consideration that the whole of the district was devoid of rabbits from the effects of the seven years’ drought which broke up about the end of December, 1902; that all places had a fair start from that date; and that in two and three-quarter years the results were as shown it speaks volumes for the success of my plan. Both holdings are netted, and the bare holding used to have a carrying capacity of fully twice Tambua, while during 1903-4-5 fully ten rabbits were killed off it for every one on Tambua, the places being the same area”.

 Mr. Rodier is about to leave Tambua, and intends to make a trial of his plan in better country with better fences, where it can get fair play, and where the results of his efforts will not be nullified by inaction on the part of neighbours. “I have proven my theory to my own satisfaction, “ he concludes; “but the difficulty lies in making other believe it.” Mr. Rodier and his scheme will doubtless be heard of in the future.

 A New Zealander, Mr. Coleman of Phillios, has been in Sydney lately endeavouring to secure a trial on his scheme, which is to import in large quantities of the natural enemies of the rabbit, such as stoats and weasels, and liberate them, and also to spread the natural parasitic diseases of the rabbit. There are thus three important schemes for which extended trials are asked; and if all, or one of them, can be developed so as to help rid Australia of the rabbit pest, their exponents will become benefactors to the community. Meanwhile, under existing conditions, the tide of the war between man and the rabbit is in favour of the latter, and every year the rabbit problem in Australia becomes more serious. The time has surely arrived for extraordinary measures, and any reasonable scheme should have a full and exhaustive trial.

 Editors note … it was not until the early 1950’s until the myxo virus was released that finally the rabbit population was impacted upon, still they survive, but not as prolific as before.