8 \\II.U I.IFi: IX \K\V ZEALAND. 



M kinds which \\- i>roiiL r ht for some definite purpose 



were silkworms, then honey-bees, and later hunible-bees. An un- 



ssful attempt \\as also made to introduce the cochineal insivt. 

 Tin silkworms. which are, of course, not wild animals in any 

 sense of the term, never became est ablished. hut they can still 

 be obtained from a t'ew dealers. Tin- humble-bees were brought 

 here for the special purpose of fertilizing red clover; and 

 thus obtaining seed from the plant>. instead of having con- 

 stantly to import seed from ahroad. In more recent years 

 eleven species of insects mostly ichneumons and ladybirds have 

 been introduced 1>\ the Department of Agriculture to cope with 

 other insects which have become pests, the larvae of the former being 

 parasites in tin- bodies of their prey, the latter feeding dinvtly 

 upon aphides. All the other introduced insects that is, over 250 

 sp -lies have been brought here unwittingly. 



Nineteen specie> of earthworms have found their way into the 

 country, most probably among the earth and the roots of intro- 

 duced phi 



It will thus he seen that wherever people are settled in New 

 Zealand the greatest number of animals to be met with are immi- 

 grants like themselves. A popular account, therefore, of tin- wild 

 life of the country must deal with these introductions, as well as 

 with those native forms which arc still to be met with commonly. 

 This. then, must he m\ apology for writing some sort of consecu 

 account of the common animals which are now to be found 

 near the haunts of men. a- well as of those which take some finding. 

 Descriptions of introduced animals are to be obtained only by 

 readiri'j- hooks of natural history dealing with other countries, or 

 in i -ich as the useful leaflets i^>ued from time to 



time hy the Department of AM ricult n re. 



'' children, and a majority of L r rown up people as well, 

 fond of natural history, and many who have lost tin- carly 



E find it revive when they are brought in contact with it 1. 

 1 -hoiiM fee] rewarded if this little hook should stimulate the love 

 of nature in any of \\ dly if it would 08 



a m- -inj up in our schools. 



bo Inuded in New Zealand and who came 

 the niiimals which were to he met with were 

 : th f'nptnin Cook in his visit here in 1769. They 



