THE INVASION FROM THE NORTH 347 



likewise the history of the blackbird repeated. It was observed on 

 approximately similar dates as the blackbird by Mr J. N. Williams 

 and the Bishop of Waiapu in the Waiapu river-bed, by Mr MacMahon 

 between Wairoa and Mohaka, and by myself at Tutira. 



In the spring of 1902 I noticed near Petane a cock chaffinch (Frin- 

 gilla ccelebs). A week later on Tutira I saw a hen chaffinch on the road 

 between the wool-shed and homestead. Four days afterwards I marked 

 a third chaffinch, and almost at the same instant a redpole (Acanthus 

 linaria), the first of its breed seen by me in New Zealand. Both birds 

 were hens : the redpole had her nest in the immediate vicinity, as I 

 could tell by her angry protestations at my presence ; that of the 

 chaffinch lay on the ground, either pulled down by some accident or 

 blown from its moorings by the gale on the previous day. The two 

 nests must have been built within a few yards of one another. 



Each of the species has an interesting history. 



In 73 four years, that is, after the liberation of the blackbird 

 and thrush a hundred pairs of redpole were imported by the 

 Auckland Acclimatisation Society. The venture was successful, for 

 next season the breed was pronounced to have become thoroughly 

 established. After that, like not a few other aliens, redpoles seem 

 to have vanished from the district where their naturalisation had 

 been so speedily successful. Mr T. F. Cheeseman, for many years 

 honorary Secretary of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, tells 

 me, indeed, that he has never himself seen a redpole wild in 

 New Zealand ; at any rate, after liberation and successful acclima- 

 tisation, this small species vanished, to reappear thirty years later 

 at Tutira. Several months after observation of the first specimen, 

 I saw another redpole, then a third, then a party of seven. A couple 

 of years later the breed had become fairly numerous in the trough 

 of the run, especially about belts of dry standing manuka over which 

 fires had passed. There for several seasons considerable flocks main- 

 tained themselves. Nowadays, though still not uncommon, they are 

 diminishing to normal numbers. 



Chaffinches imported to Auckland, and freed by the Acclimatisation 

 Society in '68, were pronounced an immediate success. 



The appearance of the chaffinch at Tutira was no surprise. I 

 had known for several years that the species was on the move towards 

 the station. In '98, during inspection of forest -land thrown open 



