820 Transactions.—Zoology. 
The gradual disappearance of the rat was accompanied by the appear- 
ance and gradual increase of the mouse (Mus musculus) and it was a common 
saying that the mice were driving the rats out. It is quite certain that 
there were no mice in Otago in 1852, but a year or perhaps two years after 
they were noticed in Dunedin first, having probably been imported in 
merchandise or in boxes. They increased rapidly and soon spread into the 
Taieri. Their further progress was marked by distinct stages. For a long 
time they seemed to be stopped by the Taieri River, as there were plenty so 
far, but none beyond. After a time they were heard of at Waihola and 
they then quickly overran the Tokomairiro Plain to the river—then stopped 
for a short time, when they appeared all over the district to the Clutha 
River. It was a considerable time before they were known of across that 
large stream, and for some time longer before the Molyneux Island was 
touched by them. A good story used to be told in those days about a 
_ certain merchant who imported in a vessel called the ** Titan" a lot of mouse- 
traps, but as there were no mice in the country the traps lay on his shelves 
decidedly bad stock, of use only for small wits to joke about. However, in 
about one or two years after the mice appeared, and the traps being the 
only ones in the market sold readily at a premium. Ill natured people used 
to say that having imported the traps the mice were afterwards brought in 
order to sell them, but my own belief is that it was only another instance 
of a far-seeing individual forecasting the wants and necessities of a new 
country, and providing for them long before any one else would ever think 
of them! At any rate the story is worth recording now as evidence that 
mice were not here before the date I have named above. 
It must strike many of you as startling to say that only thirty years ago 
the flaxy hills and hollows which are now covered by the city of Dunedin 
were the regular hunting grounds of the Maoris and whalers resident at the 
heads for the wild pig (Sus scrofa.) And there are plenty of old settlers 
still amongst us who have hunted and caught wild pigs within the city 
boundaries. Even four-and-twenty years ago I have hunted them not far 
from the Half-way Bush. I remember on one occasion a large party of us 
went out to the back of Flagstaff Hill and in two days killed about seventy 
. pigs, young and old. In various parts of the country I have seen them in - 
herds of scores at a time, but they soon disappeared whenever the country 
became settled. I have had in my possession, and seen in the possession 
of settlers the tusks of very old boars that must have lived for many years 
where they were obtained, showing clearly that the pigs were not merely 
surplus stock escaped from the settlers and gone wild but genuine old 
Maori pigs. In fact the long pointed snout, long legs, and nondeseript 
colours of the true wild pig showed them to be quite a different breed from 
