British Birds in New Zealand.



7 i



some time. It was dull brown over the head and back, dull

tawny on breast ; white under tail-coverts, and black bill, the

lower mandible lightish grey at the base.


Besides the foregoing the following young birds have been

reared :—Five Brush Bronzewing Pigeons, six Diamond Doves,

and six Japanese Greenfinches.


D. Seth-Smith.



BRITISH BIRDS IN NEW ZEALAND.



A highly interes'kig and instructive paper has reached us

from New Zealand, entitled “Our Feathered Immigrants,” in

which the author, Mr. James Drummond, gives a digest of a mass

of evidence which he has collected for and against the various

species of birds that have been introduced into that country.


A circular, with twenty-nine questions relating to the

introduced birds was drawn up, and issued through the Depart¬

ment of Agriculture to agriculturists throughout the colony. It

is unnecessary here to repeat all the questions that were asked,

suffice it to state that they requested information as to whether

any introduced birds were present in the district of each colonist

who received the circular; whether such species had done good

or harm; whether they had driven away the native birds or

otherwise ; if proved to be harmful, what steps had been taken

to check their spread, and whether the introduction of other

British birds could be undertaken advantageously. The pamphlet

above mentioned is the result of this inquiry and is very interest¬

ing reading.


The native fauna of New Zealand is perhaps the most

interesting of that of any part of the world, but it could not exist

in the face of civilization. With the introduction of three pigs,

liberated by Captain Cook in Queen Charlotte Sound in 1773,

the war against the native birds may be said to have commenced.

These multiplied exceedingly, and when the settlers began to

arrive the pigs had become a nuisance. To make matters worse

the settlers brought with them many domestic animals, more

disastrous than Captain Cook’s pigs, and a bitter struggle



