AUGUST. 155 



connection with the Robin Redbreast, of which forty were 

 liberated in Fulton's Bush, near Outram, in 1885, and 

 twenty in the following year. They were occasionally 

 seen for a short time afterwards by the late Mr James 

 Fulton, and in 1891 Mr A. C. Begg reported having seen 

 one in his garden in Roslyii, but with these exceptions they 

 never seem to have been observed. It would be interesting 

 to learn whether anyone in the Outram or Maungatua 

 districts has ever seen them since their liberation. The 

 conditions seemed very favourable, but for some un- 

 explained reason they have not succeeded in establishing 

 themselves. 



Of large game-birds it is interesting to remember that 

 twenty years ago pheasants were very common throughout 

 the east and south of Otago, nearly two hundred having 

 been liberated and their descendants having increased 

 greatly. But the introduction of poisoned grain, which 

 was to exterminate the rabbits, only reduced the pest 

 but completely destroyed the imported game-birds. Part- 

 ridges also used to be met with, one hundred and sixty 

 having been set free. It was not an uncommon experience 

 in walking over the hills between Brighton and the Taieri 

 Plain to flush a covey of them : but they have disappeared 

 along with the pheasants. Of this class of birds the only 

 species which has held its ground, and that chiefly in the 

 Peninsula and North Heads districts, is the California!! 

 quail, probably because no poisoned grain is laid in these 

 parts. But I do not know whether the bird now to be met 

 with there is the common Californian quail, of which about 

 one hundred and forty were liberated between 1868 and 

 1871, or the Mountain Quail, of which over one hundred 

 and eighty were set free during 1881-82. 



Of other game-birds, 12 Australian Quail, 21 English Wild 

 Duck, 23 Guinea Fowls, 10 Australian Plovers, 8 Pintail 

 Grouse, and 10 Black Game were also introduced, but dis- 

 appeared almost as soon as they were set free. 



One conspicuous success in acclimatisation is in connection 

 with the Australian Black Swans. These birds, natives of 

 West Australia, were set free to the number of over sixty, 



