ioo BIRDS 



were introduced, or what was done with them, and there is no further 

 record. 



In 1905 the Government imported a number of birds. Four of 

 these were sent to the Otago Society and were kept for breeding 

 purposes at the Clinton hatchery, but did not increase. Six were 

 handed over to the Wellington Society, and went to their game farm 

 in the Wairarapa. Again there is no further record. 



The species is almost exclusively a migrant in Britain, which it 

 visits only in winter. It breeds in the Arctic regions of both hemi- 

 spheres, and winters in various parts of Europe and North America, 

 India, China, Japan, and Central America. It occasionally breeds in 

 Britain. It is no wonder therefore that it did not settle in New 

 Zealand. 



English Teal Duck (Nettion crecca) 



In 1897 an effort was made by the Wellington, Canterbury, Nelson 

 and other societies to introduce this bird, and several were imported 

 and distributed. But there is no record in any of the societies' 

 reports as to what came of them afterwards. 



The teal is a palaearctic species, breeding chiefly in Northern 

 Europe and Siberia, but occasionally in several other countries of 

 Europe. It is a resident of the British Isles, though its numbers are 

 largely increased during the winter season. It has been found as far 

 south in winter as Abyssinia, and abundantly in India, China, Formosa 

 and Japan 1 . 



Widgeon, Wigeon (Mareca penelope) 



In 1868 the Canterbury Society received eight young birds from 

 Messrs Nairn and Crawford, who had apparently imported a number. 

 In 1885 some more were received from the Royal Zoological Society 

 of London. 



In 1896 the Otago Society received eight birds from London, 

 and these were sent down to the Clinton establishment for breeding 

 purposes. The following year another lot from London were handed 

 over to Mr W. Telford of Clifton, who liberated them in his ponds. 



In 1904 the Government imported a number of these ducks. Of 

 these four were handed over to the Wellington Society, and a dozen 



1 It is one of the remarkable facts of the attempts made to naturalise foreign 

 animals in New Zealand that the country formerly possessed a native quail (Coturnix 

 novee zealandite) which has been allowed to become extinct; and also that it still 

 possesses a grey duck (Anas superciliosa) , a small brown duck (Anas chlorotis), and 

 a shelldrake or paradise duck (Casarca variegata), all fine game birds, and that not 

 one of the societies ever put forth any effort to preserve or protect these birds, 

 except in the way of limiting the seasons for shooting them. In recent years bird 

 sanctuaries have been set aside in many parts of the country, but very little else 

 has been done to increase the supply of native game. Yet the little brown duck 

 is quite as good a bird as the English teal, and well worthy of conservation. 



