UNKNOWN.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 71, 25 March 1907, Page 3

UNKNOWN.

"CANNGI: LIVi; WITHOUT THE

OLD FJJOBA."

INTERESTING EVIDENCE

; On a circular distributed by Mr James Drummond, oi Christchurch, for the purpose of gaining information about the habits of native birds, there , were .some questions -designed to secure : knowledge about the native avifauna. ! " Nobody," writes Mr Drummond, j "will be surprised to learn that the | native birds are reported to he decreasj ing in nearly every district in the Col- | otiy. It has been known for years that -, they have beaten a retreat before i civilisation, but few people have realised that the retreat is so rapid and so ! complete as is now shown to be- the j case. The- birds have disappeared alto- ] gether from some districts where they I wore quite numerous only a few years ago. Most of the replies sent in" bear put- the theory that the old avifauna will not abide with civilisation and cannot live without the old flora. 'Modern civilisation,' 'want of food, 3 'want ot concealment for nesting,' ' bush-clear-ing,' ' rabbits, dogs,^ guns, cats, arid stoats and weasels ' are generally blamed for the decrease.

"The enquiries have failed to bring out any evidence of a determined or concerted plan on the part of the introduced birds to attack and drive away the native birds. Sparrows and other introduced birds have been seen at-~

tacking natives, but tuis and several other species of native birds have attacked introduced birds on occasions with great ferocity. Dr. Fulton, ot Dunedin, says that the long-tailed cuckoo has done good as a ' sparrowdestroyer.' If the introduced birds have had any effect at all on the native birds, it is by taking possession of their food supplies; but I hardly think that even in that direction that effect can be very marked, as the native birds keep to the bush and the introduced birds to settlement. The native birds, in fact, would have retreated in the same way, even if English birds had not been introduced. The crime of having driven off the unfortunate natives, therefore, cannot fairly be placed at the door of the company of English birds, who have plenty to answer for in other directions. " On the whole, the native birds do very little harm. The worst offender is the white-eye, which, by the way, is not a member of the ancinet New Zealand avifauna, as it is an Australian colonist, and first came to this Colony about 1856. It is very fond of fruit, but even its' offences are readily forfiven. . . .On the whole, tne evience shows that of all the native birds the weka is in the best position. Its numbers throughout the whole Colony seem to be increasing."