NATURE NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 81

NATURE NOTES.

By G. M. Thomson, F.L.S. No. XXXIII.—NATURALISATION OF ANIMALS (Continued). The number of birds which have been Introduced into this country is very large; but it is difficult to put it hi exact figures, for many have been introduced only as cage or aviary species, and dealers in all the large centres have constantly Imported birds. So that it is probably that 300 species or more have been so introduced. Acclimatisation Societies give, among all their reports, 137 species; but very many of these were never more than aviary specimens. Still, the intention in the case of nearly all these species was to naturalise them. The list includes seven species of grouse, five partridges, eight pheasants and a tragopan, 10 kinds of quail, 10 or 12 kinds of pigeons and doves, 10 kinds of sparrows (so-called), more than a dozen finches, nine species of duck, and 10 of goose. I have already referred to the latter birds in one of these notes, and have shown that it is doubtful whether even one kind of goose has yet been naturalised in the country. Including even doubtful cases, not more than 24 species of introduced birds have become wild. The rook seems barely able to hold its own, and the barn owls and small brown owls introduced to combat the small-bird pest do not appear to be on the increase. The following birds have become thoroughly established:—Sparrows, starlings, goldfinches, greenfinches, skylarks, and black swans are found commonly in all parts of the country. Thrushes are common wherever there is shelter, though it was a long time before they succeeded in establishing themselves in some parts ; but blackbirds, though so common in Otago, are by no means so in many parts of the North Island. In the north of Auckland they are practically unknown. The chaffinch is very widespread, and 1 have met with it from the Bluff to Auckland; but it is much commoner in the north than down here—indeSd, its occurrence in Otago is curious, and worth investigation. Thirty years ago it seemed to be one of our common, introduced birds, but for some reason or other nearly disappeared. Of late years it is sufficiently rare—for instance, round Dunedin —to be commented on when seen; and, though on the lookout for it, I don’t think I meet with it oftener than about once a month. It is distinctly shy, and does not wait for a very close acquaintance ; but its appearance, manner of flight, and note are very unmistakable. The grey linnet (Linota cannabina) was introduced at all the four main ports of New Zealand nearly 50 years ago. and began to be seen about. It may still be about the Auckland province; but I have not heard of it in this part. Similarly, the cirl bunting, introduced more than 50 years ago both by the Otago and Wellington Societies, became at one time fairly common in this part. I scarcely ever went over the Saddle Hill road to Mosgiel without seeing them. The late Mr Deans, writing me in 1890. said: “In catching the small birds Mr Bills used to call them all yellow-hammers until I pointed out the difference, which is easily noticed.” They are, indeed, quite conspicuous little birds, and the little tuft of feathers at the side of the head marks theni out at once from their more brilliantly-coloured relatives. I have not seen them for years ; but that may be because I have not been much about where they are to be seen. Yellowhammers are common in most parts of the country. I have seen them frequently this year from the Western district, in Southland, to Whangarei, in the far north, where they were frequent visitors in the gardens. The redpole is another bird which is fairly common, hut is unknown to town-dwellers, for it loves open country. It assembles in considerable flocks in autumn and winter, and I have seen it in large numbers on Flagstaff Hill, near Dunedin, and also in South Canterbury. Apparently two species of minah or mynah have been introduced into the country. The Indian mynah (Acridotheres tristis) was brought here by some private individual, and when the_ First Church steeple was built in Dunedin some built nests on it and on Dr Hocken’s house in the immediate neighbourhood. But they had all disappeared by 1890, though why this happened was not clear. The Wellington Society liberated 30 of these birds In 1875, and over 40 in the following year, and for a time they were reported as common about Wellington and the Wairarapa.' I am inclined to think this is the species which is so common now in the North Island. In 1879 the late Mr Bills imported a large number of (so-called) Australian minahs, which, I think, was probably the same species as the one already mentioned. The Otago Society obtained and liberated 80 of these in the neighbourhood of Palmerston in 1880, and they were occasionally reported from Goodwood for the next two or three years. The Christchurch Society purchased 200 pairs in 1879. and liberated them in various parts of the Canterbury province. Captain Hutton wrote me in 1890 that “ a few used to he about Christchurch; but they have disappeared before the starlings.” The Wellington Society between 1874 and 1875 liberated between 200 and 300 birds, and they evidently considered them a distinct species from the Indian mynah. The question wants looking into. The Australian magpie was first Introduced by the Otago Society, which liberated three in 1865, 20 in 1866, 32 in 1867, 20 in 1868, and six in 1869, and these were turned out in Dunedin and in the southern districts. I remember them building in the T/fith Valley in 1872; but they disappeared. Mr Deans, writing me

in 1890, said, “ These were doing well for a time, and were building at [nchclutha and in the vicinity of the Dunedin reservoir, but got shot and taken by boys to my own knowledge, and by this means were possibly exterminated.” The Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury Societies all imported them, and in all these districts they have established themselves, and are fairly abundant. Recently, too, they have begun to spread southwards ; and a correspondent of a local paper, writing only last month, reports them from Hillgrove, near Moeraki. The history of the introduction of the Jheasant into this country is a curious one. n this southern end of the country the first pheasants were liberated in 1865, and during the .next 12 years altogether some 200 birds were imported from Great Britain and set free in Otago. This is tire species common in Britain (Phasianus colchicus). By 1877 they were so abundant from Oamaru to Invercargill that shooting licenses were granted for Otago and Southland. In the Otago Society’s report for 1881 it is stated that “ they are plentiful in Otago, but much scattered. They are believed to have suffered greatly from hawks and poisoned grain.” In the following year’s report they “have become very scarce. Poaching is considered to be the principal cause.” In 1890, “pheasants are few and far between.” In 1892, they are “now very scarce; it is very rare to see one.” The report goes on to sa,y; “There is no prospect of being able to establish a supply of game, while the present system of liberating stoats and weasels and of rabbit-poisoning is being carried on.” These two latter causes were probably sufficient to lead to the extermination of the birds, but another active cause which has interfered with many attempts to introduce game birds has been, the continuous poaching which has been carried on. For one man who wishes to see legitimate sport there have been half a dozen pot-hunters, ready to shoot and kill anything that came in their way, and these have always been most active enemies of the Acclimatisation Societies. The Canterbury Society commenced importing pheasants in 1867, only liberating in all some 34 birds; but it was stated in 1871 that they are “thoi’oughly established and need no further importations.” The Auckland Society also commenced to introduce pheasants in 1867, hut the Chinese species (Phasianus torquat'us) was the one mostly imported. Mr Cheeseman informs me that {in Auckland) “our pheasant is certainly the Chinese pheasant, with a slight admixture of the English pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in the extreme north of the provincial district. Such enormous numbers of the ■ Chinese pheasants were distributed from Auckland to other parts of the colony that I am inclined to doubt the existence of the mire English pheasant in the wild state in New Zealand.” Certainly the Canterbury, Otago, and Southland Societies all got birds from Auckland in the seventies and liberated them in many parts, while the North Island seemed to be entirely supplied from the same centre. The record in some parts of the North Island was the same as in the South. In the Wellington report for 1885 we read: “The number of theso birds in this district has greatly decreased of late years. In the Wairarapa district they are nearly extinct, due to poisoned grain, and the introduction of stoats, weasels, and ferrets.” In 1888 it is stated “they do not seem to be increasing as they should. This is attributed to vermin, poaching, wet weather during the nesting season, and rabbit-poisoning.” In more recent years many of the societies have taken to rearing young pheasants and turning them out in the various districts. Thus in 1897 the Otago Society received 22 birds from London (P. colchicus), sold half of them to the Southland Society to he liberated on Stewart Island, and kept the rest for breeding purposes. In 1900 they imported 21 more of the same species and kept them in the aviaries, from whence young ones are frequently turned out. It cannot be said, however, that the pheasant is established generally as a wild bird in many parts of the South Island, in spite of all the efforts to naturalise it. In the North it is much more common, but even' there artificial rearing has to be resorted to in a great many localities. Golden and silver pheasants, Reeves’s, Eliot’s, Diamond, and Jungle pheasants and Temminck’s Tragopon have been introduced by various societies and individuals at various times, and have been reared in the aviaries; brat none of them have bred freely enough to warrant their liberation, and they will apparently never be other than cage birds with us. I must leave the question of introduced quail, and of failures in bird naturalisation, to another paper.