112 BIRDS 



The Auckland Society introduced seven English pheasants in 

 1867, and two in 1868. 



In 1869 Mr Wentworth liberated a number of English pheasants 

 on the Hokonuis, but I do not know from whence he obtained them. 



These are all the introductions of English pheasants (Phasianus 

 colchicus) which I have been able to trace. 



Turning now to the Chinese species (P. torquatiis), Captain Hutton 

 states that in 1851 Mr Thomas Henderson imported some direct 

 from China in the barque ' Glencoe.' Two dozen were shipped, but 

 only seven reached Auckland alive, five cocks and two hens. These 

 were turned out at Waitakere. In 1856 Mr Henderson imported 

 some more Chinese pheasants in the schooner 'Gazelle,' of which 

 only six arrived alive. They were also turned out at Waitakere. These 

 thirteen birds, mostly cocks, appear to have been the whole of the 

 Chinese pheasants imported into the province of Auckland. They 

 were lost sight of for several years, then they re-appeared and 

 gradually became more and more abundant in the neighbourhood of 

 Auckland, and were shot in considerable numbers in 1865. They first 

 appeared in the Waikato in 1864-65. In 1869 they were extremely 

 abundant from Auckland through the Waikato and Thames to near 

 Taupo. In the same year they reached Whangarei, but were rather 

 rare further north. In the Auckland Society's Report for 1874-75 

 it is stated that the " Chinese pheasant is the common bird of this 

 Province." 



The Wellington Society imported 20 Chinese pheasants in 1874, 

 and four in 1875. 



The above seem to be all the direct importations of this species 

 into New Zealand. But in the early years of acclimatisation a very 

 wide distribution of birds by the various societies was undertaken, 

 and they were spread far and wide. The kind was not always specified ; 

 some were Chinese, some were English, and very probably many 

 were hybrids, if it is the case, as commonly believed, that the two 

 species have crossed freely. Thus in 1864 the Otago Society obtained 

 three Chinese pheasants from Auckland, and in 1877, 15 more; 

 seven of these were sent to Oamaru, and five to Tapanui. 



The Canterbury Society received three Chinese pheasants in 1867, 

 and in the report for 1871 it is stated that they consider them "to 

 be thoroughly established and needing no further importations." This 

 statement appears to apply, however, both to the Chinese and English 

 species, for in 1869 it was stated that the pheasants were in thousands 

 on the Cheviot Hills Station. 



The Southland Society got a large number of both species from 

 other societies in 1869-70, and liberated them in various parts of 



