BIRD AND ANIMAL LIFE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 October 1928, Page 7

BIRD AND ANIMAL LIFE.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —The interesting letter signed by “Bird Life” in your issue of September 26 has led* me write in regard several matters which arc therein referred io. In the first place we read of Acclimatisation Societies at districts in this country recommending. the right to slaughter certain native birds, merely because some mem'ber makes a bald statement in relation thereto, without presenting reliable evidence. For instance the Marton Acclimatisation Association requested the right to shoot pukeko, and a South Island East Coast Society to shoot paradise ducks. It. was pleasing to read that the Westland Society look evidence at their last annual meeting as to the possible injury by the opossum to the bird life and forest, growth of this district. It should be borne in mind that a great deal remains to be learned on this subject, and so should not. be dealt with in a hasty manner. Now that the opossum has become a commercial item, it is against human nature to expect evidence always without bias. Even State Departments in these times are becoming notorious in their methods of raising funds by taxation and foes. As an illustration of how difficult, it appears to arrive at. correct conclusions as to the possible future development of trouble by introduction of the hefither on to the Tongariro National Park which has been a subject, of controversy for some years past. A few weeks ago several members of the Board visited the Park Reserve and concluded — “That observations would have to be continued over several seasons before definite evidence is available as to growth of heather under’ different conditions.” When steps were taken some years ago to liberate opossums on the West Coast, a writer to the Sydney Bulletin remarked on the action —“The Maorilander would.be well advised to get first hand information from localities in Australia, where

the animal was well known, before liberating them in New Zealand.” Professor H. B. Kirk on March 31, 1920 laid before the Minister of Internal Affairs at Wellington a report on the Australian opossum in New Zealand. The only Australian literature therein quoted was from Consejjyator of Forests in South Australia, which clearly showed the opossum killed trees and seedlings in the pinus plantation of that State. This evidently appealed to Professor Kirk as he recommended no opossums to be liberated anywhere in the Rotorua plantation district. Fie, also correctly ' and strongly affirms that deer, cattle and pigs destroy the floor of the forest by eating out the undergfowth and there-

fore should. not be allowed to live therein; that the opossum climbs trees and eats the buds, branchlets and flowers at the higher strata of vegetation. If they do not, what do they live upon? Does this not suggest future trouble? Without hesitation I say it must seriously interfere with the bird life of our forests. And there is no doubt a fair number of ground birds are caught in the traps,

in localities where these birds still exist. Whatever may be the methods adopted to prevent or control the spread of introduced animals, they are not to be arrived at by any haphazard manner, and it would be an optimistic person who thinks it can be done easily, as has been proved in the case of the rabbit, stoat, and deer. There are many people in this Dominion of serious thought who do not see eye to eye with the administration of these affairs by the Internal Department and Acclimatisation Societies; and consider the time is ripe to set up a Board of men with knowledge and scientific training to deal with all matter® appertaining to these subjects.—Yours etc.,

RATA