RATIT^ 



99 



Emu {Dromaius novce-hollandice) 



The Canterbury Society received one from Mr E. Flood of Sydney 

 in 1864; the Otago Society had several in their garden in 1867; the 

 Auckland Society received one from Sir Charles C. Bowen in 1868, 

 and two from Mr F. E. Drissenden in 1871. There is no further 

 record of any of these birds. There are always Emus in the Wellington 

 Zoological Gardens. 



The only serious attempt at naturalisation was that made by Sir 

 Geo. Grey who introduced a number into Kawau in 1868, but they 

 all died. 



Order ANSERIFORMES 

 Family Anatid^ 

 No fewer than 25 species of this family have been introduced into 

 New Zealand, but only one — the Australian black swan — has com- 

 pletely established itself, while the mallard and the Canadian goose 

 have been partially naturalised. Domestic ducks appear to have been 

 first introduced by the missionaries, either at the time of Marsden's 

 first visit in 1814 to the Bay of Islands, or very shortly afterwards. 



Muscovy Duck {Cairina moschata) 

 In 1865 Captain Norman liberated six of these birds on Adam's 

 Island, one of the Auckland Islands lying to the south of New 

 Zealand. They failed to establish themselves. 



English Pochard Duck (cj), Dunbird (?) (Nyroca ferina) 



The Wellington Society imported six in 1894, ^^^ three more in 

 1895. Two years later, in conjunction vnth the Canterbury, Nelson, 

 Taranaki, and other societies, a number more were imported. Private 

 individuals and dealers apparently also brought in several. 



The only report of these is a negative one, the Taranaki Society 

 stating in 1902 that "we have not seen anything of the pochard ducks 

 which were liberated in 1898." 



Canvas-back Duck (Nyroca vallisnerid) 

 In 1905 the Government imported some of these birds, but only 

 two appear to have arrived, and these were handed over to the 

 Wellington Society. There is no further information obtainable about 

 them. 



Pintail Duck {Dafila acuta) 



In 1885 the Canterbury Society received some from the Royal 

 Zoological Society of London, and in 1896 the Otago Society imported 

 some, but in neither case is any information obtainable as to how many 



