PREFACE 



A HISTORICAL account of the introduced animals and plants of New 

 Zealand has long been a felt want in this country. Changes 

 had been going on for the last century and a half, but records and 

 references to these changes were much scattered, and it was very 

 difficult for many persons interested in the natural history of the 

 country to acquire any exact knowledge of the subject. This has been 

 one of the reasons which induced me to accumulate the facts recorded 

 here. The work has led me into a very large correspondence, but I 

 have been gratified by the interest manifested by those appealed to, 

 and by their readiness to assist me. The whole question of naturalisa- 

 tion appeals to most intelligent persons, and my efforts to elicit in- 

 formation have been most pleasantly received, and readily seconded 

 on all sides. 



To secure accuracy as far as possible, especially in connection 

 with those groups of animals and plants with which my acquaintance 

 was very imperfect, I sought and most ungrudgingly received the 

 cooperation of local specialists, and I desire here to acknowledge my 

 deep debt of gratitude to these gentlemen, who have checked my 

 lists and supplied me with many of the facts recorded. They include 

 the late Major Broun of Auckland who went over the Coleoptera; 

 Messrs G. V. Hudson of Wellington, A. Philpott of Invercargill, 

 G. Howes of Dunedin, and D. Miller, Government Entomologist, who 

 dealt with Insecta generally, and the last-named especially with the 

 Diptera ; Mr G. Brittin, late of Christchurch, the Coccidas ; Dr Reakes, 

 Director of Agriculture, the Trematode, Cestode and Nematode 

 parasites of our imported animals; and Professor Benham, F.R.S., 

 of Otago University, the Oligochsetes. These gentlemen have also 

 given me much valuable general information. 



Invaluable assistance has been afforded me in regard both to 

 introduced animals and plants by Mr T. F. Cheeseman of Auckland; 

 by Mr W. W. Smith of New Plymouth, whose experience as a field 

 naturalist is second to none in the Dominion; by Mr B. C. Aston, 

 chemist of the Agricultural Department, who also is a most observant 

 naturalist; by Dr F. Hilgendorf, of Lincoln Agricultural College; by 

 Dr C. Chilton, Rector of Canterbury College, Christchurch ; and by 

 Mr A. Cockayne, Biologist of the Agricultural Department. My old 

 Otago friends and fellow-workers, Dr D. Petrie, now of Auckland, 



