80 



Note. — Dimensions of P. Macroptera, Smith. 



Length from tip of bill to end of tail . . 1 7*0 inches. 

 Bill, from gape to point . . . 1 -75 ,, 



Wing, from carpal joint to tip . . . 13 75 ,, 



Tail 6-0 „ 



Tarsus . . . . . . 1-5 



Art. X. — On the introduction of the Pheasant into the Province of Auckland. 

 By Captain F. W. Hutton, F.G.S. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, June 7, 1889.] 



Exact information, as to the date of the introduction of plants and animals 

 into a country, together with the numbers introduced, and the place where 

 they were first turned out, will be of great value, in future years, to all 

 naturalists studying the difficult subjects of the diffusion and replacement of 

 species ; and for this reason I have here placed on record all the information that 

 I have been able to collect with reference to the first introduction of the 

 Pheasant into this province ; and I hope that any person who is in possession 

 of more complete information, or who may know, with tolerable accuracy, the 

 date of the first appearance of the bird in any part of the province, will kindly 

 inform me. 



In 1851, Mr. Thomas Henderson imported some Chinese Pheasants 

 (Phasianus torquatus) direct from China, in the barque " Glencoe." Two 

 dozen were shipped, but only seven reached Auckland alive, five of which were 

 cocks. These were turned out near Mr. Henderson's mill at Waitakerei. 

 About the same time, or a little before, some English pheasants (Phasianus 

 colchicus) were liberated at Mongonui by Mr. Walter Brodie. 



In 1856, Mr. Thomas Henderson imported some moie Chinese Pheasants 

 in the schooner " Gazelle," of which six only arrived alive. They were also 

 turned out at Waitakerei. 



These thirteen birds, most of them cocks, appear to have been the whole 

 of the Chinese Pheasants imported into the province. For several years they 

 were never seen, but gradually became more and more abundant in the 

 neighbourhood of Auckland, and in the year 1865 they were so common as to 

 be shot in considerable quantities. They seem to have made their first 

 appearance in the Waikato in 1864 or 1865. 



They are now extremely abundant from Auckland southwards, all through, 

 the Waikato and Thames districts, and have been seen near Lake Taupo. 

 North of Auckland they have not spread so rapidly. They are tolerably 

 abundant at Mahurangi, but are scarce further north. They have this year 

 been seen at Whangarei. 



The English Pheasants, although they appear to have multiplied freely at 

 Mongonui, have not spread much, as they have not yet reached the Bay of 

 Islands. Chinese Pheasants have been turned out at Tauranga, Tolago Bay, 

 Napier, Baglan, Kawau, and Bay of Islands, within the last three years. 



I may also add that, in 1862, Mr. William Hay turned out at Papakura 

 two brace of Californian Quail (Ortyx Californica), these are now in thousands, 

 and have spread for many miles. 0. Californica has also been turned out at 

 Hokianga, Kawau, Auckland, and Waikato. 



Note by Mr. T. Kirk. — P. torquatus, first seen at Owaha in 1866. Not 

 observed north of the Arapoua (Kaipara) in 1868, although a few birds were 

 seen on the Oruawharo, possibly liberated from a cattle station on that river. 



