EUROPEAN OCCUPATION 523 



Daucus brachiatus, Sieb., the native carrot, has hooked bristles on 

 its fruit, and is no doubt spread by hairy and woolly animals. On 

 the other hand, the plant is so readily eaten by sheep and rabbits . 

 that it is nearly exterminated in those districts where it used to be 

 common. 



Fruit-eating birds, especially blackbirds and thrushes, have in- 

 creased to an enormous extent, and while spreading introduced suc- 

 culent fruit plants very freely (e.g. blackberry, briar-rose, elderberry, 

 etc.) have also caused a very great increase in certain indigenous 

 species. For instance in the Town Belt of Dunedin, to which re- 

 ference has just been made, there has been a great increase within 

 the last thirteen years of the following species : Melicytus ramiflorus, 

 Forst.; Rubus australis, Forst.; Fuchsia excorticata. Linn, f., species 

 of Coprosma ; Loranthus micranthus, Hook. f. ; Tupeia antarctica, Cam. 

 and Schl.; and Muehlenbeckia australis, Meissn. In other districts 

 other succulent fruit plants have been spread. No doubt the Parapara, 

 Pisonia Brunoniana, Endl., which has a large viscid and succulent 

 perianth, is also distributed by birds, but the species has a considerable 

 range through Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands into North-Eastern 

 Australia, and I cannot say by what birds it was distributed. But it 

 is remarkable that certain small birds, e.g. the (recently introduced?) 

 wax-eye, Zosterops carulescens, which is a great eater of fruit such as 

 pears, peaches, etc., frequently get caught on the fruit of Pisonia y 

 and are unable to liberate themselves. 



It is difficult to obtain any information upon or evidence of effects 

 produced on the native vegetation by introduced insects. At least 

 two species of Thrips attack many native trees, as recorded by W. W. 

 Smith of New Plymouth, and as I have seen from the specimens 

 submitted to me. It is probable also that several Coccidae and Aphides 

 have taken to living on indigenous trees and plants, but there is 

 practically no evidence on the subject. 



On the other hand certain indigenous insects have found intro- 

 duced plants to their liking. 



Among Lepidoptera the fine green Hepialus virescens, Doubleday, 

 does a great deal of damage to introduced trees. Large ash trees 

 (Fraxinus excelsior) in Taranaki have been killed by the larvae boring 

 and tunnelling into the solid wood. Similarly, large oaks (Quercus 

 robur) and elms (Ulmus europceus) are destroyed by these larvae. 

 Whereas in Puriri (Vitex lucens) the tunnels remain open, those in 

 oak, which are generally very moist, are closed. In Puriri the opening 

 is covered by the larva with a tough leathery screen, but in oak the 

 bark and woody tissue form a thick callus, which effectually closes 

 up the larva in an air-tight chamber. Benthamia fragifera is also 



