PASSERIFORMES 143 



that every one was landed alive in Dunedin. They established them- 

 selves at once. 



The Canterbury Society landed 36 in 1867, 24 in 1868, and a 

 third lot in 1871 The Society's Report for the latter year states that 

 "they have not increased so well as expected, and it is much to be 

 feared have been killed by cats." The large amount of native bush 

 in the neighbourhood of Dunedin was, no doubt, more favourable 

 for their protection and increase than the comparatively open country 

 of North Canterbury. 



In 1875 a further lot was brought in by Mr Bills, some of which 

 were sold, and others liberated in the Christchurch Gardens. It 

 was, however, more than 20 years before thrushes were thoroughly 

 established there. 



The Auckland Society introduced 30 in 1867, and 95 in 1868. 

 They established themselves at once. 



The Wellington Society introduced eight in 1878. 



In the Otago Society's Report for 1881, it is stated that "thrushes, 

 we are glad to find, are becoming more plentiful in the neighbourhood ; 

 they are blamed for destroying fruit." Apparently this was thought by 

 the writer to be a habit specially acquired in its new habitant. At 

 the present day thrushes are found from one end of New Zealand to 

 the other in enormous abundance. They are responsible, along with 

 blackbirds, for continual and serious depredations in orchards. Before 

 their introduction fruit of all kinds could be grown in the open, but 

 as they began to increase it became impossible to grow small fruit, 

 especially, without protection. Netting has had to be resorted to by 

 all small growers, while in large orchards, guns, supplemented by 

 owls, cats, crippled hawks and gulls, have to be employed to keep 

 the depredators at a distance. 



Against this must be placed the fact that they eat a great quantity 

 of insect life, and of land mollusca (snails especially). The latter they 

 destroy in the orthodox manner by dropping them on to rocks, stones 

 and hard roads ; and on the sea-coast they also eat periwinkles, leaving 

 heaps of broken shells at the spots where they drop their victims. 

 In New Zealand, as in Europe, earth-worms are their favourite food, 

 but these all belong to introduced species. Mr Drummond quotes 

 a Hawke's Bay correspondent as follows: 



For about 130 days in the year, until well into January, a thrush has 

 come to my farm morning after morning. Over an area of about 300 square 

 yards he collects worms and takes them to his mate, sometimes carrying 

 two or three at a time. I have watched him frequently, and from 7.30 a.m. 

 to 8 a.m. he takes about fifty worms. I think I underestimate it in putting 

 it at two hundred worms a day. 



