ANSERIFORMES 109 



experiencing very severe frosts in winter. Apparently when Mr 

 O'Malley left (or died) the whole flock was destroyed. 

 Mr H. T. Travers writes me in February, 1919: 



At Pakawau, not far from CoUingwood in the Nelson district, a settler 

 used to raise a large number of turkeys. I often have, when visiting 

 CoUingwood, taken back with me two or three fine young "gobblers," 

 paying 2S. dd. each only for them. After a time I was unable to obtain 

 any more, and was informed that in consequence of the great increase in 

 introduced birds, destroying the grasshoppers on which the young turkeys 

 lived, no more could be raised. 



They are still common in some localities inland from Wanganui, 

 but it is stated that in these localities, while minahs and Australian 

 magpies are common, starlings are scarcely ever seen. 



Pea- Fowl {Pavo cristatus) 



According to E. Jerningham Wakefield the first peacocks intro- 

 duced into New Zealand were brought to Wellington in 1843, by 

 Mr Petre, who imported a large assortment of stock and materials in 

 a ship of his own chartering. 



The Otago Society introduced two in 1867, and handed them 

 over to some private individual, but no further record was kept of 

 them. In other districts private individuals and dealers introduced 

 them, and, especially in the North Island, they occasionally got into 

 the bush and became wild. Mr Thos. Hallett tells me that they 

 were formerly wild in several places in Hawke's Bay, but disappeared 

 probably from the same causes as the last species. They are still wild 

 in bush districts inland from Wanganui. 



Mr W. W. Fulton states similarly that they were formerly numerous 

 in the valleys of the Turakina and Wangahu Rivers. 



Common Fowl ; Jungle Cock (Gallus bankiva) 



Captain Cook in 1773 liberated fowls in West Bay, Queen Char- 

 lotte Sound, but on visiting the spot on October, 1774, he could not 

 observe any trace of them. But in the account of his third voyage 

 (February, 1777) he says: 



All the natives whom I conversed with agreed that poultry are now 

 to be met with wild in the woods behind the Ship Cove ; and I was after- 

 wards informed by the two youths who went away with us, that Tiratou, 

 a popular chief amongst them, had a great many cocks and hens in his 

 separate possession. 



On and November, 1778, Captain Cook anchored the ' Resolution ' 

 at the mouth of Port Nicholson, and gave the natives who came off 

 in their canoes "fowls to take home and domesticate." 



