^°'"io^.''^ J H.M.r , The Tasynanian and New Zealand Groups. 285 



Graiicidits niclanops (Curkoo-Shrikc), Anthncha'ra caninciilaia 

 (Wattled Honey-eater), Petrochelidon nigricans (Tree-Martin), 

 and Eurystomus aiisfrcilis (Roller) arc species that have been taken 

 over by storm or stress of wiiul. 



Micropiis paciftciis (Swift), in coming from China in October, has 

 passed over Papua with tlie inherent tendency to go down tlic 

 eastern Australian coast ; gt'tting too far east, it has gont' on to 

 New' Zealand. Possibly it is working on th(> migratory course 

 of a distant jiast, when New Zealand liad its land extension 

 northward. 



Gallinago aiistralis (tlie Snipe), witli half a dozen other species 

 of the Totanince, have also done this. Wandering to Tasmania is 

 not so serious a matter, the distance l)eing shorter and habitable, 

 though the food supplies arc feeble. It may be a strong-winged 

 Painted Snipe {Rhyiic/ucd) that comes over, or a poor-tiying 

 Magpie-Lark (Crallina). They are no good as a means of 

 populating a new province, and presently die at the hands of 

 thoughtless enemies. Acclimatization by this means would ])e 

 a small affair. 



The naturalized birds in Tasmania doing well in the iicld are : — 

 (a) Goldfinch {Cardicelis elegans), {b) Starling {Stitrnm vulgaris), 

 (c) Myna {Acridotheres tristis), {d) Sparrow [Passer domesiicus), 

 (e) Indian Dove [Turtur ferrago), (/) Skylark {Alauda arvensis). 



New Zealand has twenty species of seventeen genera well 

 naturalized, fourteen being European. The Indian Dove has 

 done very feebly in New Zealand,' while in Tasmania it has done 

 well. The Tasmanian Bronzewing Pigeon (Phaps elegans) also 

 failed to make good its settlement in New Zealand, just as three 

 other species of Pigeons have done. The same fate met, in New 

 Zealand, the Fire-tailed Finch (Zonaginthits bellus), the only species 

 of Finch in Tasmania. The Tasmanian Diamond-Bird [Pardalotits 

 afmis) also died out before it estabhshed itself. Dacelo gigas 

 failed in Tasmania and New Zealand. In addition to the fourteen 

 mentioned as doing well, there are twenty-five species successfully 

 acclimatized in the Dominion. This includes the Nightingale 

 {Oedon luscinia), which should do w^ell in northern Tasmania. It 

 is interesting to know that the stock of all Pigeons (Colitmha livia) 

 is successfully estabhshed in New Zealand, just as with Callus 

 hankivis, the basis of our domestic poultry. They are doing well 

 in the wilds. The White-backed Magpie {Gymnorhina leuconota) 

 and Brown Quail [Synoicus) have successfully fixed their settlers' 

 rights. Gymnorhina (Magpie) is closely connected with certain 

 South American birds, and, belonging to a very old fauna, as it 

 does, it might well have shown itself as a native of New Zealand. 



In Tasmania feeble efforts have been made to get a footing for 

 useful foreign and interesting, showy birds. Perhaps her day is 

 in its dawn. 



