132 
The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 
[May 
SUGGESTIONS FOR ACCLIMATIZATION OF ANIMALS 
IN NEW ZEALAND. 
By Hubert W. Simmonds, F.E.S. 
A traveller in New Zealand cannot but be struck with the fact that, 
outside the now rapidly dwindling areas of native bush, the great majority 
of the trees, plants, crops, and animal forms have been artificially introduced 
by man. The common wayside weeds have either been accidentally brought 
in with agricultural seed or have escaped from cultivation, and the original 
native fauna and flora have only in a few rare instances been able to 
enter into the new combinations of life thus brought about. In addition 
to the species deliberately or accidentally introduced in agricultural 
operations, a large number of others were purposely introduced for other 
reasons, of which sport and sentiment appear to have been the chief. 
When one looks into these latter species one feels great disappointment 
that the opportunity was missed of bringing to this country some of the 
more interesting and beautiful forms of life from other parts of the world. 
The early settlers seem to have selected those species which were most 
familiar to them, and which brought an atmosphere of the Home-land 
into their novel surroundings. The results were in many cases disastrous, 
and could have been avoided had the introduction been carried out under 
competent scientific control. 
In selecting birds to take the place of the native species, which were 
already receding with the clearing of the bush, ease of transport seems 
to have been a guiding feature, as nearly all were brought from Europe, 
and seed- and fruit-eating varieties were almost entirely chosen. Except 
for the rook, goldfinch, hedge-sparrow, and the Australian magpie, we 
should probably have been better off if none of the others had been brought 
in, although all birds feed their young upon insects and other soft food, 
and are thus useful during the nesting season. There are, however, a 
great number of purely insectivorous kinds, many of them also of great 
beauty, and there is no reason why efforts should not still be made to 
acclimatize some of the choicest of these, in this way not only adding to 
the beauty of the country, but also performing a very useful service at the 
same time. Amongst the most beautiful and useful groups of purely 
insectivorous birds are the titmice of the Northern Hemisphere, of which 
there are a great number of different species. During the winter they 
work every crevice and hole in the bark and trunks of trees for insects and 
their eggs, instead of turning to seeds and grain as do most of our intro¬ 
duced species. The most beautiful of the whole group is probably the 
azure tit of eastern Siberia, whilst the marsh tit of Europe would doubt¬ 
less help considerably in the control of the flax-grub which is at present 
causing heavy losses to the country. 
Another group of exquisite beauty is the genus Malurus (superb 
warblers) of Australia. Of these the common blue wren of New South 
Wales and Victoria would probably thrive in our gardens and along our 
river-banks, while the allied Malurus lamberti, a scrub species, would no 
doubt do equally well in our northern forests. They are lovely creatures, 
and would also be valuable assets economically. Then there are the 
scarlet-breasted and the carmine-breasted robins of Victoria, which are 
