AND INTRODUCED FAUNAS 507 



I quote this rather formidable list of figures to show how greatly 

 our systematic knowledge of the fauna has been extended within 

 the last seventy years. 



Mr Hedley suggests that as the European or cosmopolitan weed- 

 florula is able, with human assistance, to oust the indigenous flora, 

 so there may be a weed-faunula (mouse, sparrow, snail, etc.) which 

 may act similarly on the indigenous fauna. 



At the date of my arrival in the country (1868) the following nine 

 species of birds, which have either altogether or to a great extent 

 disappeared since, were to be met with, in some cases fairly commonly : 

 native crows (Glaucopis zvilsom and G. cinered), huia (Heteralocha 

 acuttrostris), native thrushes (Turnagra tanagri and T. crassirostris), 

 stitch-bird (Pogonornis cincta), kakapo (Stringops habroptilus), native 

 quail (Coturnix novce-sealandice), and the white heron (Herodias timo- 

 riensis). In addition, several species of originally very limited dis- 

 tribution (e.g. Stephens Island Wren and Chatham Island Fern-Bird) 

 are now quite extinct. 



Others which were abundant have been driven back into areas 

 where settlement has not yet penetrated to any great extent 1 . 



It must not be supposed that it is the introduced animals alone 

 which have produced this effect, even though rats, cats, rabbits, 

 pigs, cattle, stoats and weasels, as well perhaps as some kinds of 

 introduced birds, have penetrated beyond the settled districts. It is 

 largely the direct disturbance of their haunts and breeding places, 

 and the interference with their food supply, which has caused this 

 destruction and diminution of the native fauna. 



What is true of birds is equally true of other groups of animals, 

 though it is more difficult to arrive at the facts. Many insects which 

 were common in the bush fifty years ago must have been displaced 

 and have largely disappeared. I cannot appeal to figures, but the 

 surface burning of open land which prevailed, especially in the South 

 Island, and the wanton destruction and burning of forest which has 

 marked so much of the North Island clearing, must have destroyed 

 an astonishing amount of native insect life, and made room for intro- 

 duced forms. The clearing of the surface for cultivation and grazing, the 

 draining of swamps, and the sowing down of wide areas in European 



1 They include the following sixteen species : native robins (Miro albifrons and 

 M. australis), saddle-back (Creadion carunculatus) , fern-bird or grass-bird (Sphenae- 

 acus punctatus), native canary (Mohua ochrocephala), tui (Prosthemadera novee- 

 zealandice), kaka (Nestor meridionalis), parakeets (Cyanorhamphus noves-zealandiee 

 and C. auriceps), kiwis (Apteryx mantelli, A. australis, A. owerd and A. haastii), 

 laughing owl (Sceloglaux albifacies), Mo-pork (Ninox novee-zealandiee), and native 

 pigeon (Hemiphaga novfe-zealandies). In some settled localities, such as the neigh- 

 bourhood of Wellington, Mo-porks are still met with. 



