175 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES IN NEW ZEALAND. 
of Marlborough, where much bush is still intact, the native harrier 
and the native woodhen (weka) have cleared the pheasants out. 
This is the only case I can recall of retaliation on the part of the 
native birds towards the alien. 
Partridges were brought by some of the earlier settlers but 
quickly died out. An old sporting farmer told me that the reason of 
this was the unsuitable nature of the winter feed, but I should rather 
attribute its disappearance to the harrier and the weka, both being 
severe on nests and young birds in open country. 
Californian Quail, at one time, spread with great rapidity, being 
-essentially a bush bird, but of late years there is a diminution, prob- 
ably on account of attacks upon the young brood, for I was once a 
witness of a battle royal between a weasel and a nesting quail. The 
Californian quail is a beautifully marked bird with black crest. Its 
nest is built on the edge of the busk, carefully secreted under a fallen 
log ; of somewhat similar, but much quicker, flight than the partridge, 
I can testify to its being a difficult mark for any but the skilful aim. 
In “Cassell’s Illustrated Family Paper,” dated October 15th, 
1859, appears the following interesting paragraph :— 
‘‘Three hundred sparrows, carefully selected from the best 
‘hedgerows in England, have been lately sent to New Zealand. 
‘‘The food alone put on board for them cost £18. The necessity 
‘‘ of small birds to keep down the grubs that devastate the crops 
‘‘in the colony has long been felt. The farmer is beset with 
‘““myriads of caterpillers. Should the sparrow become acclimat- 
‘ized and multiply, the greatest benefit will have been conferred 
‘fon the country.” 
As may be anticipated the sparrow did multiply, and its advent, 
owing to its pugnacious disposition, has caused a gradual recession of 
many native birds. Its introduction was one of the ghastly errors of 
the settlers. Inasmuch as the sparrow breeds all the year round in 
New Zealand, its multiplication is enormous. In the summer of last 
year, 1905, one small County Council alone paid £163 17s. 6d. for 
