N.Z. BIRD IMMIGRANTS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4757, 29 September 1924, Page 4

N.Z. BIRD IMMIGRANTS.

USEFUL AND* OTHERWISE. SOME MISTAKES OF THE PAST. Over seventy years have passed since English birds were first introduced into New Zealand.. In that time the little immigrants have had plenty of opportunities to show what they can do to help th© work of colonisation. Acclimatisation began when the Maoris brought their dog and rat from Polynesia. The rat is not plentiful now, and the dog is quite extinct, but for five or six hundred years both thrived exceedingly well, and- they stand first on a long list of animals that have been introduced into :this country with a success which, in several cases, is far too marked. The first European animals were introduced by Captain Cook. He let three pigs loose ■in Queen Charlotte Sound in 1773. He extracted from the Maori to whom he. gave them a promise that he would not-kill them. He believed in time, they would stock the whole island.;': ThmMaori kept his word," and the navigator’s belief was fulfilled. Ini'later yeans “Captain Cook,” as they-were, called, afforded splendid diet for-the -Maoris and European visitorst ..To them.is attributed a great deal of -the work* of banishing the tautara =fronv>the-mainland to a few small islands; on the-sea coast. When civilisation had fairly established. jitselfj. bringing! many,- species of its domestic animals and several species of its domestic pests and vermin. there began a short, sharp, but bitter struggle between the new fauna and the old one, which had possessed this country for ages. It was only natural in a country like New Zealand, with such a limited indigenous fauna, that the settlers should establish acclimatisation societies, and endeavour to introduce the familiar forms of wild life from their native lands. It is a matter of regret that the zeal of the early acclimatisers was- greater than their knowledge, and the mistakes were fraught with evil results of* a, far-reaching, and permanent nature. Due care and consideration would’have prevented-the. introduction of several undesirable immigrants. A result of such mistakes has been to render the acclimatisation societies timid of introducing anything that might .be a. pest.. Ih‘the - early sixties the country was smitten with; plagues of insects. In the •Auckland! district a settler driving his dray.-along, the road drove into a colony of caterpillars which happened to be crossing the 11 road at the time. They Were present, in such countless numbers that the wheels of his dray ran in a puddle caused by the crushing" of the insects.? THE'SPARROW. 1 ‘ The sparrow filled all requirements, and it is not surprising that this bird, which is now heartily cursed in many countries and outlawed in several, should be among the first to be introduced to the 1/and of insects and trouble. It was to Canterbury that the first sparrows came. The story is that the acclimatisation society ordered twelve dozen hedge sparrows from England, but in some way a blunder was made at Home and thirteen dozen house sparrows were shipped by the Mato-aka. Captain Stevens was very attentive to them bn the passage out, but only five were alive when the vessel arrived at Lyttelton in 1867. The officens of'the society, realising that a mistake had been made, refused to accept the strangersand the captain let them loose. The Otago Society liberated three sparrows in 1868 and 1869. Other consignments were brought, and later, until the colony was stocked. Sir Walter Buller pleaded guilty- to having been accessory to the liberation of sparrpws in Wanganui.. Only practical men are aware of thei enormous injury inflicted on farm produce by the hosts of sparrows which ravage the cornfields and do considerable damage in gardens by pecking up freShly-sown seeds and destroying green peas. Not only in New Zealand but in other countries he is looked upon by the farmer and gardener as an impudent thief without a redeeming feature in his character. In 1866 the Canterbury Society introduced a small number of birds, including linnets, sky larks, and goldfinches. In shipping offices in London the society circulated lists of sums of money ’t was willing to give for different? species of birds, but which it was intended should be brought but by emigrants from England. The system was not successful, and it was not until definite arrangements were' made with agents and captains of vessels that any satisfactory results were achieved. The blackbird, the sky lark, and the song thrush were introduced for sentimental reasons. Their songs awakened the sweetest thoughts of Home and of childhood days. The colonists had 'absolutely no suspicion that their charming little friend, the sky lark, would soon be ranked as a feathered pest, second to none but the sparrow.

The blackbird was another treasured reminder of the Old Country; it is now another “feathered friend’’ that is heartily cursed up hill and down dale. The first record of their introduction is in 1865, when Captain Rose brought a pair to Lyttelton in the Mermaid. The acclimatisation of both the robin and nightingale wag unsuccessful in Canterbury, but the failure may be attributed to the fact that they were not given a good chance. The blackbird soon became naturalised, and colonists only smiled when it took a little fruit. As the years went by and tha blackbird increased in numbers it began to take the lion’s share of cherries, strawberries, pears, apples, and other fruit. Gardeners then began to look upon it as an ugly, sooty intruder, a greedy nuisance, and its company was found to be not half as desirable as had been anticipated. The song thrush at first did not succeed anywhere except at Cheviot, between Christchurch nad Kaikoura, but is now found all over the country. This is a usefur bird, on .account of the insects it catpures and the amount of snails and sluggit destroys. Th'-ei greenfinch can well be classed as another of the imported pests. The

greenfinch has been caught damaging ripening grain crops and eating young r vegetable '.plants ~ as ns fruit. It is stated that in the Central Otago district, the green 'finch is the worst offender of all in the orchards, as it attacks the trees while they are still in flower and just as the fruit is ripening. The goldfinch feeds largely on seeds of thistles. Other plants of the composite are especially affected by goldfinches, which cling to the stems in order-to feed on the seeds. The chaffinch joins other birds in their attack upon seeds and The red poll is regarded as a harmless bird for the most part, but it has not spread, very far. Ln the north it is reported to be destructive on grass seed burnings. The yellow hammer is classed with the sparrow in description of the damage done to seeds in newly-sown bushburns in the North Island. The praise of th'a hedge sparrow as a useful bird is almost unanimous. It is now found in various districts in fairly large numbers. It is regarded as a faithful . friend by the farmers, who regret that it has not spread so rapidly ais the impudent and hardy namesake. : There is hardly any limit to the good words said of the starling. It is frequently described as the only introduced bird worth having. It is found ! in nearly every district, and is welcomfed by all engaged in agriculture. Besides eating insects it does a great deal of good by destroying larks' eggs and eating the ticks on sheep. It also kills large numbers of slugs and snails. ! the Otago Society introduced Indian minahs and Australian, magpies. They did not thrive in the sotuhern part of the South Island, but have increased in most districts of the North island. There are a good many to be seen about Wanganui. The same society dlso imported the chaffinch, lapwing, curl-bunting, and partridge. The people most interested in the doings of the bird:? firmly believe that their introduction was a dangerous mistake, that they do more harm than good, and that their banishment, if it were

possible, would be beneficial. Others say that if 1 the birds could be kept in check they could bo converted from enemies to friends. A forgetful gen eration may havei a short memory, but great service given in the past must not be ignored when the birds are on their trial. Among the migratory birds that visit New Zealand annually th)© goodwit is the best known. These birds breed in Eastern Siberia from June to the end of July,and then leave. In New Zealand many birds arrive during October, November, and December. They spread as far as Stewart Island, and leave at the end of March or the beginning of April. In New Zealand they arrive in small parties, which evade observation, but they leave the North Cape districts in large flocks. The shining or bronze cuckoo is also migratory. It .was first observed by the Rev. F. Colenzo in 1842. The, name given to it by the Maori is proof that they must have been aware of its migratory habit (Pipe-wharauroa is bird of long flight). The long-tailed cuckoo is also an annual, visitor. This is the koekoem one coming from Australia, the other from some part of Polynesia, a distance of more than a thousand miles. In regard to the white eye or blight bird, th© date of its first occurrence in Otago is doubtful, but in 1856 it appeared on both sides of Cook Strait in considerable numbers. Before then it was unknown, both to the European and the Maori, the latter calling it tauhau, which m'eans “little stranger.” Several of our birds, especially some of the herons, rails, and ducks, are found in Australia. They also, at different times, crossed oVer the sea and became naturalised. In this category is the wrybill plover, little sand plover, pied stilt, branded dottrel, 'etc. I>i 1907, ni exchange for a number of characteristic living birds of New Zealand, the kiwi, weka, kakapo, and kea, the Emperor of Austria presented eight chamois, which arrived in New Zealand in 1907, and were liberated at Mount Cook. They are now in fair numbers.