320 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 Eiver, as. there were plenty so 

 far, biit 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 

 Eiver. 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 

 certam 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 groimds of the Maoris and whalers resident at the 

 heads for the wild pig (Sus scrofa.) And there are plenty of old settlers 

 ;stiU 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 m 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 nondescript 

 colours of the ixm wild pig showed them to be quite a different breed fi-om 



