NATURE NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21876, 11 August 1934, Page 1 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES

BY J. DRXTMIIOND, F.L.S., T.Z.S.

QUAIL IN NEW ZEALAND,

The barred and mottled plumage and plaintive notes of a small brown quail for years have been familiar to Mr. H. W. White in scrub country in the Glenfield district, near Birkenhead, where it is increasing. He is mistaken in assuming that it is the.native quail, whose extinction is beyond much doubt. The mistake, shared by many other people, is excusable, as this speoies, the brown quail, swamp quail, or Australian quail, resembles the only species of native quail New Zealand ever possessed. The brown quail was first introduced from its native country, the Commonwealth, sixtyeight years ago, soon after the date assigned to the native quail's extinction. The native quail, once plentiful, may have seriously declined when the first brown quail were brought to the order of the Auckland, Wellington, Otago and Southland Acclimatisation Societies in the sixties and tho seventies. ——

Most of tho consignments were small, some of them comprising only a few birds, but in one year, 1871, the Auckland Society introduced 510 birds. Climatic conditions may account for the brown quail's complete failure in the South Island. The Auckland climate ia more like the climate of Australia, and, doubtless, is more congenial to this Australian species. It is fairly plentiful in open scrub country in Auckland Province. It occurs in other parts of the North Island, and it has spread to the Three Kings Islands, Mayor Island, in the Bay of Plenty, Mokohinau, north of the Little Barrier, and the Little Barrier Sanctuary. Cats, rats, stoats, weasles, hawks and wekas are blamed for reducing its numbers m the Wellington, Taranaki and Hawke s Bay districts. These enemies are present in some districts where the quad is not uncommon, and the explanation is little more than a guess. The brown quail, like other birds, seems to be subject to laws which cause its numbers to fluctuate, and which remain hidden from human beings. *

To the late Hon. G. M. Thomson the brown quail's notes resembled the notes of the common European partridge. He pointed out that, like that partridge, it gathers in. coveys _of from ten to eighteen individuals, rising from the ground simultaneously, and pitching again within a hundred yards of where they arose. They sit so close on the ground that they are almost trodden on before they rise. They are light and airy, and their flesh is declared to be delicious. A somewhat crude nest is made on the ground.

Less known, but more interesting, is another • introduced quail, the bobwhite, colin, or Virginian quail, first favourite among game-birds in Eastern North America; Since the Wellington Acclimatisation Society brought in 1150 Virginian quail, thirty-five and thirty-six years ago, and distributed some in Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago, this species, like the Californian quail, has had vicissitudes in New Zealand. For a few years after its introduction it was reported from those districts. After ten years it seemed to disappear completely. About eight years ago it revived in the Auckland Province, which has distributed members of the species in the Waikato. The dignified title " Virginian quail is observed in New Zealand. In America it is often called bob-white, because the male has a shrill triple whistle that resembles "Ah-bob-white.

The Virginian quail runs quickly, rises with a whirr and flies swiftly for a short distance. Adults feed mainly on seeds, weeds, shoots, berries and grain, the young nfainlv on insects. An observer watched a female when its young brood w&s startled. It sbtiinnied lameness and a broken wing until it lured the strangers away. Then it rose and darted off with great velocity. This trick is practised by other birds. A more remarkable habit ascribed to the Virginian quail is recorded by another observer: "At nightfall a whole covey settles in an open place, and, huddling under a bush or a tussock, they form a little circle with their heads outward, so that, if disturbed, they can spring and separate at a moment's notice. Reddish and grey colours above, red-dish-white black chevrons below that and white stripes on the sides of the head, and a black cap on the top of the heatl make the Virginian quail conspicuous" and handsome.

The Californian mountain quail was an acclimatisation failure. Fifty-two years ago many members of this species were liberated near Lake Omapere and in the Upper Thames and other Auckland districts, also in parts of Otago. Their slender black plumes never, or seldom, wave in New Zealand now. A recent visitor to Californian wilds reports that a traveller who approaches tHe great Sierra Nevada mountains from the west will first meet the mountain quail at home when he enters the cool shelter of the main forest belt. From that area on into the mountains this elegant bird is seen hear yellow pines, incense cedars aud silver firs. Carnivorous and vegetarian, it eats whatever is plentiful, taking leaves, seeds and berries, ants, grasshoppers, centipedes and beetles. Late in the spring and early in the summer the males make the forests ring for half a mile or more with their love songs.

The Calixornian quail, the brown quail and the Virginian quail take the of the native quail. Of these three the Californian quail is much the most successful. For many New Zealand farmers it is too successful. The Chinese quail, or painted quail, very pretty, the Tasmanian stubble quail, the Egyptian quail and tho Indian quail, to which the native quail was closely related, were tried unsuccessfully. The dark chestnut horse-shoe mark on the common partridge's grey breast is not seen in the Dominion. This is not for want of trying persistently at frequent intervals for almost forty years. Mr. Thomson felt that the record of the numerous efforts to establish this game-bird in New Zealand was a pathetic one.

At <1 recent meeting of the Linnean Societv of London, Dr. Stanley Kemp said that Pelorus Jack evidently lived for at least thirty years, a span comparable to the estimated lifetime of the gigantic blue-whales and fin-whales, and that Pelorus Jack apparently died of old ago. It was last heard of in November, 1916. Tho first effort to classify Pelorus Jack placed it among the goose-beak whales, Ziphius. The Order-in Council that protected it described it as a grampus, usually called Risso's dolphin. At the same meeting Dr. W. 11. Parker showed lanternslides of Pelorus Jack alongside of slides of a goose-beak and of a common dolphin. He pointed out great differences between them. He then placed the lantern-slides of Pelorus Jack alongside of slides of a Risso's dolphin, and showed the close resemblance of Pelorus Jack to the latter in length, colour, beakless snout, high back-fin and flippers. Officially, Pelorus Jack stands as a Risso's dolphin, Grampus griscus.