993. Do you consider that increase amongst the rabbits has been due to migration or to natural increase ?—I think it is due to migration principally. Last year we had such a very favourable season that they increased very largely. They have been increasing steadily, but last year is the first year we have notice them come in very great numbers.

994. What direction do you reckon they generally travel in ?—My idea is they are keeping to the coast .

995. As regards the points of the compass ?—Westward; about due Westward.

996. Traveling Westward along the coast ?—Yes, along the coast.

997. From year to year can you say you have noticed an annual increase ?—Yes, I am quite satisfied of that; last year particularly.

998. By Mr. Richardson: Did you notice many young rabbits; any breeding ?—I have not noticed many, but the natives say the burrows are full of young rabbits.

999. The natives say they are ?—Yes.

1000. By the Chairman : With regard to the natives, do they kill a great number of rabbits ?—Yes; I can safely say the natives kill hundreds a week at Eucla.

1001. Are there a large number of natives ?—There have been about 40 for some time.

1002. They like rabbits ?—They would rather have the kangaroo, but they are naturally lazy, and as they get rabbit easily, it suits them.

1003. They do not get tired of them ?—They do get rather tired of them, but they have such a lot of dogs, and it takes a large number to keep that number of natives going.

1004. Do the white population make much use of rabbits as food ?—Yes, some of them.

1005. By Mr. D. Forrest : You were stationed at Israelite Bay, were you not ?—Yes.

1006. Were there many there ?—No, not that I was aware of.

1007. By the Chairman : You never saw rabbits six years ago ?—No. There were reports that they were there, and I did not quite believe in myself. A year later I saw them killed there (Eucla).

1008. By Hon. R. G. Burges : That is about four or five years ago ?—Five years ago.

1009. By the Chairman : You have made various reports to the Government with regard to the increase?—I have made report to the Police Department. The Postal Department advised them at the start that the rabbits were there.

1010. Therefore, it could not come as a surprise to the head of the department that the rabbits were there ?—No.

1011. By Mr. Richardson : Mr. Mason, whose search party was sent out to examine the inroad of the rabbits, visited Eucla in 1896, did he not ?—Yes.

1012. And they were just in a measure beginning to show themselves, were they ?— Mr. Mason went out one day and brought some in. They were about the first rabbits I saw there.

1013. And shot some, did he not ?—Yes. That was about three miles from the station.

1014. By the Chairman: From your knowledge of the settlers down there, are they frightened about this invasion at the present time ?—The country is practically unsettled down there. There are only one or two settlers. They are naturally frightened, but they have such a big scope of country that the rabbits could do little injury for the time being. They are settled mostly along the coast, on the grassy plains. The rabbits keep to the coast owing to the dry state of the country. They keep there, where they can get sappy feed.

1015. By Hon. R. G. Burges: Did you notice the rabbits made any difference to the grass around Eucla ?—They do not seen to attack the grass much at present, because there are so many bushes. They bark the trees.

1016. By the Chairman: They have started to bark the trees, have they ?—Yes.

1015. By Hon. R. G. Burges: Do they live without water ?—They must live without water.

1018. By the Chairman : There is no water they can get to ?—Not till they get West of Eucla some considerable distance.

1019. By Hon. R. G. Burges : Are there any complaints from the settlers ?—The settlers are always complaining about the rabbits coming, and that they will eventually do great injury.

1020. Have you heard any complaints of the rabbits being found between Eucla and the Coolgardie goldfields in a direct line ?—They have been found at Eyre's Sand Patch.

1021. I do not mean that: North of Eucla ?—I cannot say I have.

1022. By the Chairman: I do not know whether there are any travellers coming down the boundary between South Australia and Western Australia. Have you ever heard of any travellers who have come from due North into Eucla, or somewhere about North, speaking about rabbits?—I have heard that, years ago, kangaroo hunters used to get back far inland and they used to see traces of rabbits.

1023. How far did they go back ?—I do not know exactly. I would not attach very great importance to that.

1024. You have had no recent information ?—No; I have had no reliable information at all. I have heard from several that there are sandhills back from Eucla (I think they are about 150 miles North of Eucla), that they were in those hills years ago. I have not heard it from a very reliable source, so I would not like to attack much importance to it.