Vol. VII. 



.- IQOS , 



Correspondence. i6' 



Correspondence. 



SYNCECUS AUSTRALLS IN NEW ZEALAND. 



To the Editors of " TJie Eni/i.'" 



Sirs, — Under this heading, on pp. 104, 105 of the last number 

 of The Emu appears a note to the effect that Mr. D. Seth-Smith, 

 in The Aviciiltural Magazine, has discovered that this bird is not 

 uncommon in the North Island of New Zealand. 



The note in The Emu commenting upon this asks the follow- 

 ing questions : — " Have cage birds been taken to and liberated 

 in New Zealand, or have wild birds emigrated across the Tasman 

 Sea } " 



Synoeciis australts was introduced by the settlers, but when 

 and where I can't trace, as no records of the earliest efforts at 

 acclimatisation were kept. However, in 1871, when Captain 

 Hutton published his " Birds of New Zealand," he included a 

 " List of Birds Introduced by Settlers." In this list (p. 66) 

 there appears — " Coturnix australis. Lath. All the provinces. 

 From Tasmania." 



Later, when treating of the supposed survival of the New 

 Zealand Quail upon the Three Kings, the late Sir Walter Buller 

 wrote (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxiv., p. 1,891 (1892)) : — "But of 

 Syncecus australis, the Brown Quail of Australia, which has 

 been introduced into New Zealand, and is now extremely 

 plentiful in all parts of the country." 



On p. 348 of the "Index Faunae Novae-Zealandiae " (1904) 

 appears Synceais australis, Lathrades (Swamp Quail), Australia. 

 This is in an Appendix, the title of which is " List of Natural- 

 ised Animals," the explanation of which reads : — " This list 

 includes those animals which have been introduced, either 

 intentionally or unintentionally, by human agencies, and have 

 become so well established that they may be considered as part 

 of the fauna." 



I have collated these three references simply to show that to 

 New Zealand students the occurrence of Synoecus australis is a 

 well-known fact, and has been for nearly forty years. That it 

 should be termed " an interesting discovery," and be worth 

 recording by Australians, seems to me surprising. — I am, &c., 



TOM IREDALE. 



Christchurch, N.Z., ist Nov., 1907. 



P.S. — Since writing the above the '■ Transactions of the N.Z. 

 Institute for 1906 "has been received. On p. 508 the dates of 

 introduction of birds now acclimatised are given, and for the 

 bird under notice read : — " Auckland, 1867 ; Christchurch, 1866 ; 

 Green Island, near Dunedin, 1868 and 1870." — T.I. 



