ACCLIMATISATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12365, 2 December 1905, Page 8

ACCLIMATISATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

s • The proposed importation of big B game from India by the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society indicates continued activity !n a form of colonie! enter- , prise which has Had very varyj ing results. The Acclimatisation Societies in New Zealand, as a writer in the London . " Spec- „ totor" admits, have undoubtedly scored some great successes, prominent among them being "the introduction of trout, which grow to a protfigious size, the establishment of the humble bee, to ferr tilLse the clover, and later the splendid success of the red deer." Against i these triumphs of acclimatisation, to which, may bo added, before long, the establishment in some of our rivers of 1 the salmon, must be set some admitted! ' failures—not of acclimatisation, which had been only too successful, but of the ■ purpose for Vhich it was undertaken. Tho early introducers of tho ■ ; sparrow and tho rabbit, for instance, to • ' quote the best-known examples of-un-i, fortunate enterprise, never dreamed of the day when tho Legislature should bo invoked, and many thousands of pounds spent, in order to keep these creatures within bounds. The "Spectator," on the strength of statements by those" good naturalists, Mr G. M. Thomson and Mr "W. "W. Smith, quotes the etarling as one of tbe evils of acclimatisation in New Zealand. It is accused of eating grain, contrary to ell tho traditions of properly bebaved starlings, and humble bees, the latter for tho 6ako of their honey-bags. Tho starling, as those know who grow cherries, lias a decided tasto for sweets, and its successful raids upon bees arc scid to have led it to tho honey-bearing flowers of ■fhe native flax. It thus apes the habit of our own tui. Mr Tegetmoier, the English naturalist, who has expressed a doubt whether any acclimatisation, except that of tho trout nnd humble- : bee in these colonies, has been a real success, would have his opinion strengthened when k he heard of tho efforts of the Canterbury A. and P. Association to introduce a better humble-boo than tho ' one which is now charged with being only moderately useful in fertilising tho clover. Acclimatisation lias in 6omo ( ways defeated its own ends. Thus tho ] ' cats and stoats and weasels, brought i here to keep tho rabbit in subjection, ' ! are largely responsible for the wholesale ' destruction of our unique ground-living ' birds, and tho poisoned grain laid down , for the destruction of the introduced < sparrow and ite congeners has proved 1 the undoing of another introduced bird, i the pheasant. These cases prove, as < the '"Spectator" remarks, that it is do ' sirable to be very "select" when introducing animals, birds, or plants into a J new country. The Acclimatisation So- £ ciety can be doing no harm in introducing into the mountain, country of New Zealand tho markhor and ibex from Northern India, and wo presumo they will satisfl themselves before introducing the other animal mentioned that r its advent will have no bad effect. With ; v this safeguard they are- to be con- • J gratulated, wo think, upon tho enter- s prise they aro showing in endeavouring o to increase tho sporting attractions of . o tho colony. j The Agent-General advises the Pro- ! v . ni.ier that Lloyd's have agreed to con- * tinuo tho exacting arrangement with P tho State Firo Department for another t< j.'fiar. 1 J.