Mr. J. W. White, continued.

755. But if you have a drought in the country the chances are that there will seldom be great waves of rabbits coming across, because there will be such drought country that they would not breed rapidly?—No; but still if they got a year or two like this, they will breed very rapidly. They will not come until the country where they are gets bad. It is only then that they start travelling in mobs, and then they take everything before them.

756. If they have a long distance of drought country they will keep travelling?—They will keep travelling all the way along.

757. So the wave weakens as it progresses?—Quite so.

758. It is quite different from a wave on good country?—You will not get the wave in the same way as in bad country. They will travel, but not at the same rate. There is nothing to induce them. A rabbit will go half a mile or a mile and will stop.

759. By Mr. Loton: So long as they get plenty of food they stop where they are?—They do not travel distances. I think what starts them travelling first is the bucks fighting, and they drive one another away, and they go a little further on. A doe finds perhaps there is another rabbit ahead, and draws on in that way. I think that is the way they do when feed is good.

760. By Hon. R. G. Burges: Then a drought is likely to make them move on?—A drought will make them shift into better country.

761. By Mr. Harper: If it is ahead?—Yes; they will shift somewhere.

762. By Mr. Richardson: I want it stated clearly; you know of no reason why rabbits should not spread and increase in the pastoral country of Western Australia?—Of course, on the coast, in places—

763. But in pastoral country?—In pastoral country I know of nothing to prevent their increasing.

764. And spreading over the land?—And spreading over the land.

765. Is it not a fact that rabbits were supposed to be known at Widgiemooltha two years ago?—It is not a fact; it it supposed. H. M. Downie, who reported the matter, was twitted at the time, and has been ever since as to the condition he was in at the time when he said he saw the rabbits.

766. The fact of the rabbits not being in numbers at Widgiemooltha is no proof that they will not increase largely in good country?—No; I do not think there were rabbits there.

767. By Mr. Loton: They had not got quite so far West?—Not so far West.

768. By Hon. R. G. Burges: Do you think the poisoned land has any effect on the rabbits?—I do not think so. They come to Israelite Bay and Mt. Ragged, where there is poisoned land, and they seem to come through all right.

769. By Mr. Wittenoom: They are not forced to eat it?—They have always good grass about.

770. By Mr. Harper: They treat it like the salt bush and eat it last?—That is so. There is the hop bush, and they eat that and several other bushes.

771. By the Chairman: Do you find the rabbits go back on their tracks?—I have never known them to go back. If there is a drought and some are left they start breeding; and it be dry to the West and not dry to the East they go back.

772. By Mr. Harper: They follow the feed?—They follow the feed.

773. You have no camels in your expeditions?—Yes; there are two men who are carting water 15 miles with camels.

774. You have sufficient equipment to make a trip there and explore a fencing ground?—I have no camels of my own; the men supply their own. I have miles and two or three horses. If I have to go through the dry country I shall want one or two camels.

775. You can hire those?—Yes.

776. By Hon. R. G. Burges: What number of boundary riders would you want to protect the fences?—Is should think a man every 15 miles.

777. As many as that?—Yes. The fence would have to be supervised every day, but it all depends on the country.

778. By Mr. Richardson: That presupposes it is a sort of occupied country; but if where the fence travels in uninhabited, mostly deserted, country, could a boundary rider not keep a very much larger track?—Not if rabbits are particularly numerous. If an inspector found that the rabbits were in small numbers that could be done, but if the rabbits were thick the fence would have to be supervised every day. I would suggest that every person interested, and the Government, should bear their proportion of the cost. It might be necessary if a fire occurred for the man to be in a position to put two or three other men on.

779. By Mr. Harper: I would like to ask Mr. White whether some of this country is not prospected occasionally by the gold-seeker?—Yes.

780. Do you imagine that if gates were provided, say every six or seven miles along, or every five miles, the ordinary prospector would travel and not find a shorter way through?—I think he would travel, knowing the Inspectors were on the line. In this country there are not many tracks, and if a man went through he could be followed.

781. It would only be fear of consequences that would prevent his going through?—The consequences should be made severe, as in New South Wales. It should be either fine or imprisonment.