How Animal Immigrants Reached New Zealand Shores WISE AND UNWISE INTRODUCTIONS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 70, 15 December 1933, Page 26 (Supplement)

How Animal Immigrants Reached New Zealand Shores WISE AND UNWISE INTRODUCTIONS

.JjTHOUGH Captain Cook and; those explorers and whalers who followed him in the eighteenth century found the islands of New Zealand rich in fauna and bird life, they found it singular in the absence of all indigenous land mammals except two small kinds of bat, a small rat and a species of dog, the. two latter supposed to have been introduced by the Maoris on their migration from Hawaiki. _This absence of animal life, together with the peculiar nature of New Zealand fauna, has given rise to much scientific speculation, and, in the opinion of able writers, points to a continental period in early ages and to a subsequent partial subsidence and partial elevation. The early settlers of the nineteenth century, however, introduced animal life from the Old World, and quickly found the country and climate admirably suited to its development. The “kuri,” or native dog, was of a degenerate mongrel breed and was domesticated. Those with long and silky white hair were greatly prized by the Maori, who re~arded the flesh as a delicacy, and used the skin for a garment, and tufts of hair to ornament his spears. Following the introduction of the pig,

packs of these dogs

were used for hunting wild hogs. They died out in the early days of colonisation through slaughter, and by crossing with introduced breeds. Tlie native rat was a small rodent, and was called “kiore Maori.” Its flesh also was highly prized, and the native sets traps for it round their sweet potato and Indian corn patches. The large Norway rat, however, was introduced by shipping, and this quickly exterminated the “kiore Maori.” Captain Cook, of course, was responsible for the introduction of the pig, which multiplied remarkably, and grew to great size. To the Maori, the introduction of this animal was a real blessing/ for Hongi was a flesh eater, and the absence of animal life in Ao-tea-roa lay heavy on his heart. Coming of First Horses. The first horses were introduced principally from New South Wales and Tasmania, and were a strong, hardy breed, a cross between horses taken by the Australian colonists from England and a few Arabs imported later. This good blood, however, was subsequently crossed by importations of inferior Stock from South America and the Cape of Good Hope. In 1840 a Mr. Watt brought to Wellington from Sydney, “Figaro,” a splendid pedigree animal, which laid the foundation of a very fine type in the colony. Cattle were introduced chiefly from New South Wales and Tasmania, and throve well on the native pasture. They were found roaming wild in the very early days of settlement. For instance, the first Wellington settler found wild cattle on Kapiti Island and in Admiralty Bay—the' descendants of a few head taken from New South Wales and traded to the natives for flax. The sheep were nearly all introduced from New South Wales, and were almost entirely of the Spanish merino breed, many of their progenitors having been imported into Australia from Saxony. The first Romneys to be introduced were 16 ewes and four rams brought out by William Bennett and Leonard Young, on the advice of Thomas Northwood of Wellington, in 1853. Goats were introduced at a very early period, and large numbers of them could be found at the whaling stations. Hive of Bees Arrives. The colonists found many varieties of Insects, some peculiar to the country. An attempt to introduce bees from England was made by a Mrs. Wills in May, 1852, but the colony died on the voyage. Shortly afterwards a healthy ' hive, sent by Mrs. Allom of London, ' arrived safely, and was established at Nelson. The first bees actually landed alive at Wellington Were brought from . Sydney by Mr. John Carne Bidwill in ■ the same year. The progeny of this and other parent stocks rapidly increased to an almost incredible degree. ' Useful birds were introdued at an early stage. Turkeys, geese, ducks, and the common fowl were found to be ■very easy to rear, and In many cases the latter became wild, living in convoys among the ferns and high grass. Mr. Henry Petre brought out some peafowls in 1841, and Mrs. Willis, some pheasants the following year. These latter, however, did not thrive. Mr. Charles Rooking Carter writes that In 1861 there were no pheasants in the Wellington province, and finding them plentiful in Auckland, he purchased a number and released them on his farm in the Wairarapa. They multiplied, but in time vermin, and diminishing natural food supplies, took jitheir toll. Red Deer from England. According to the authority of Mr. Carter, red deer were first introduced into the Wellington province in 1862, For this the colonists were indebted to

(By

W. H. Turner)

his Royal Highness Prince Albert J who, at the solicitation of Mr. John • Morrison, the New Zealand Govern- ( ment agent in London, was pleased to j interest himself so far as to give or- i ders for four hinds and two stags to j be caught in Windsor Park, and housed I for a short time to tame and fit them ] for the voyage. Two hinds and one t stag were shipped in the Triton for i Wellington. One hind died on the i voyage, and the surviving hind and a

stag were landed at Wellington on June 6. The other three of the six deer mentioned above were sent out to Canterbury, but as only one was landed there alive, it was sent up to Wellington to join the stag already there. These three deer were for some months placed in a stable in Wellington, and there fed on artificial food. They were released on Mr. Carter’s station in the Wairarapa in January, 1863, and crossed over the Ruamahunga into

the back country, where they rapidly increased. Mr. Carter was justifiably pround of having played an important part in the introduction of deer and pheasants into the province, but he has also been credited with introducing the rabbit, and of this he was not so proud, as before his death they had increased to such numbers they were a positive plague to farmers. In the course of a pamphlet, published in 1882, he denies the soft impeachment, and lays the blame at the door of Mr. S. Oates, pointing out, however, that in those days “bunny was thought a very harm-

less creature.” Mr. Carter admits, however, that while in England. in 1866, acting as emigration agent for the Wellington province, he sent out, at the request of Mr. H. H. Jackson, eight or nine of “a superior breed of rabbit,” and asks: “Was I to blame for obeying instructions?” Guilty, or not guilty, as far as the introduction of rabbits is concerned, we are certainly indebted to Carter for many of our English songbirds. In 1873, for instance, he released at Taratahi (Wairarapa), a number of goldfinches, red polls, starlings, chaffinches, blackbirds, thrushes, partridges, and rooks.