RECONSIDERATIONS 379 



lapse of a year they had remembered the route and repeated the 

 experiment. 



As to the joint migration of certain species, both Mr Williams and 

 his brother have always maintained that the blackbird and thrush 

 travelled together. They were first noted "at the same time "in the 

 Waiapu and Poverty Bay ; " within a short time of one another " in the 

 Wairoa. At Tutira also the two breeds were heard and seen within 

 a week or two of one another. If they had not travelled together, it is 

 more than remarkable how evenly the species had kept step. The same 

 may be said of the arrival of the chaffinch and the redpole many years 

 later. If nothing more, it is a curious coincidence that two new aliens 

 should twice have reached Tutira within a few days of one another. Per- 

 sonally I have no doubt they travelled in each other's company. 



Of foreign species imported into New Zealand there have been 

 more failures than successes. Many have perished immediately, like the 

 nightingale, redbreast, and sand-grouse. In Hawke's Bay, black-game, 

 partridge, and yellow wagtail seem never to have reached a second gener- 

 ation. The initial failure of the blackbird and thrush in Hawke's Bay 

 is the more remarkable in view of their proved suitability in after years. 

 Small numbers however only were freed. I am given to understand too 

 that liberations were almost direct from the cages. Probably too the birds 

 were cramped and gross from want of exercise ; lastly, though liberated in 

 localities cleared of cats, the destruction of rats and predatory native birds 

 had been overlooked. Some species, again, after initial success, have dis- 

 appeared, like the brown linnet ; others, like the pheasant, the Australian 

 and Californian quail, have for a considerable period increased, then begun 

 to die away. The fate of game-birds has naturally attracted the largest 

 share of public attention. Partridges have again and again failed, not 

 only in Hawke's Bay, where their acclimatisation has been on too meagre 

 a scale for much chance of success, but also in localities seeming to 

 offer ideal conditions. The reason of the failure in such districts seems 

 to be other than initial want of numbers or disturbance by vermin. 

 They have perished, as in certain western islands of Scotland imported 

 grouse have died off, and perhaps for the same reasons. For the decline 

 of the pheasant many reasons have been assigned. Climate and vermin 

 have been blamed, yet neither wholly account for the facts. Pheasants, 

 we know, did in Hawke's Bay flourish and increase for a considerable 

 period ; neither climate nor predatory natives, such as the weka, hawk, 



