VII. ANIMAL COLONISTS 



AMONG instances of successful acclimatization of English 

 animals in the Antipodes must be reckoned the importa- 

 tion of red deer into New Zealand. They were first 

 introduced in 1862, when Prince Albert, to oblige 

 the Government Agent of New Zealand in London, 

 caused four stags and two hinds to be shipped to 

 Wellington. Only one stag and two hinds arrived 

 alive, and were set free on Taratahi Plains. They 

 selected for their haunt a range of limestone hills, 

 covered with good English grasses, and there they 

 have flourished and multiplied abundantly. During 

 the last four years the effects of this increase have been 

 noted in the appearance of the deer in every locality 

 near which wood, water, and grass are plentiful. 

 Licenses for deer-shooting, limited to three stags a 

 season, have been issued for the last ten years. The 

 stags grow faster than in England, bearing antlers with 

 ten points in three years, and some of the numerous 

 calves are being captured and transferred to other 



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