Mr T. D. Pearce of Invercargill writes (2nd August, 1915): “The opossums in Southland owe their origin, not to the Council, but to private enterprise. They were liberated between 1865 and 1868 in the Longwoods by Mr Christopher Basstian, who brought them from Victoria or Tasmania." Mr J. L. Watson of Invercargill writes (October, 1890): "One pair were liberated by the late Captain Hankinson at Waldeck, Riverton, in 1875 or 1876. They have increased marvellously and are plentiful in the South Longwoods." This, no doubt, refers to a later introduction, and Mr C. Basstian was evidently the first person to liberate them in New Zealand. The Auckland Society imported some (number not stated) in 1869; five more in 1874-75; and four more in 1876. There is no record as to where they were liberated. Most of these came through Sir George Grey; who liberated several grey opossums on Kawau. In 1892 the Wellington Society obtained 19 black Tasmanian opossums (T. fuliginosus), and liberated them on the ranges behind Paraparaumu. In 1895 the Otago Society obtained 12 silver-grey opossums (T. vulpecula) from Gippsland, and liberated them in the Catlins district. This appears to complete the record of introductions. By 1890 these animals had increased to a great extent in the forest covering the Southern Longwood Range, and the Southland Society caught and distributed in that year some 236 to "the Auckland Islands, Stewart Island, various districts of Otago (including the Te Anau and West Coast Sounds region), North and South Canterbury, West Coast of South Island, Nelson, Wellington and Gisborne." In succeeding years more were obtained and distributed throughout other parts of New Zealand, e.g. to Kapiti and Wainui-o-mata in 1893, and to Taranaki in 1896. For the last 30 or 40 years grey opossums have been very abundant on Kawau. In 1893, Captain Bollons, in N.Z.G.S. 'Hinemoa,' liberated 72 opossums in the West Coast Sounds. They are now abundant from far north of Auckland to Stewart Island. In all localities they appear to have increased to a great extent, becoming so abundant in some parts that people began to destroy them for their skins, while others—especially the Acclimatisation Societies— claimed protection for them and demanded the introduction of restrictive legislation. Some idea of their increase may be gathered from the statement made by the President of the Otago Society that in 1912 no less than 60,000 skins were taken in the Catlins district alone. Mr R. S. Black of Dunedin, a well-known exporter of rabbit and other skins, tells me this number is not an over-estimate. W. W. Smith (31st July, 1918) reports opossums as common about New Plymouth. They feed on the leaves of the hou-hou (Panax arboreum) and come to the shed where horsefeed is kept, and help themselves to the oats. Protection and Legislation. In 1891, protection of the opossums was urged on the Government by an Invercargill merchant who stated (in Southland Times of 20th January) that some New Zealand skins were worth 10s. each, and he noted that the supply of skins from Australia and Tasmania was diminishing. At the same time complaints began to be made by settlers in bush districts that the opossums were robbing their fields and orchards, and destroying plantations-apparently an attempt to justify the destruction of the animals which was then commencing. Such a charge was not supported by evidence. On the other hand Mr T. C. Plante of Melbourne, writing to the Premier of New Zealand on the subject (in 1891) says: Tasmania is the orchard of Australia, yet so little harm is caused by this animal and so well is its commercial value appreciated, that a close season is prescribed for it, and indeed for all marsupials. Although the species of Victoria yield a fur of little value, except such as live in the cold and mountainous parts, the case is different with the Tasmanian species, which are of much greater value; the animal is larger, producing fur denser and of much better quality, and the colour is black or reddish-black. Now this is the kind that has been introduced into New Zealand, and from specimens caught in Riverton bush that have been shown to me, I can vouch that in New Zealand they grow even larger and produce fur of better quality. At the October (1890) fur sales Tasmanian skins realised up to 8s. 6d. each. Mr Plante recommended trapping from June to September when the fur is fully grown, with a close season during the summer months. Owing to the increasing destruction which went on in succeeding years in all districts where opossums were found, the societies interested brought pressure to bear on the Government, and in 1911 an Order in Council was issued (Gazette, 16th November), declaring these animals to be "Imported Game within the meaning of the Animals Protection Act, 1908." Thus it became illegal to catch or destroy them. By this time, however, the settlers in bush districts-at least in Otago had found the trapping of opossums a very profitable business, and though they do not appear in published returns of exports, the probability is that their skins were classed and counted with rabbit-skins. Accordingly they set to work through their representatives in Parliament and got the restrictions removed. By Gazette notices of 22nd August, 1912, it was stated that "opossums of every variety shall cease to be deemed to be imported game," and "all protection of opossums has consequently been removed, and they be taken or killed without restriction, and their skins sold." This may see-sawing legislation immediately produced an outcry from all the societies in the country, and so much feeling was expressed that the Government reconsidered their decision and another Order was issued on 7th August, 1913, declaring opossums to be absolutely protected in certain specified counties-practically in all the bush-covered districts in New Zealand. A further warrant was issued in 1916 absolutely protecting opossums in the Wellington Acclimatisation District. The position therefore in 19191 briefly was as follows: Opossums have ceased to be imported game and they have been absolutely protected in certain areas. There is therefore no existing law in force giving power to declare an open season for these animals unless they were again declared to be either imported or native game, and this is not practicable as they would then automatically be protected in parts of the Dominion where protection is not desired; there being no existing power to enable them to be declared imported game in part only of the Dominion. In spite of these regulations it is the opinion of some at least of the societies that the law is habitually broken and that the protection is very imperfect, and the Wellington Society in its report for 1915 says that "opossums are being slaughtered wholesale." I learn also from the Comptroller of Customs that the number and value of opossum skins exported during the year ended 31st December, 1915, was as follows: It is known that thousands more go out of the country, nominally as rabbit-skins. Food, Habits, etc. Mr F. Hart of Round Hill, who had a long experience in catching opossums for the Southland Society, wrote a report on the habits of these animals to Mr Eustace Russell of Invercargill, from which I extract the following. The technical names of the plants given are added by myself: The food the opossum lives on is chiefly seeds of Broadleaf (Griselinia), Kamai (Weinmannia), Broad-gum (Panax), Maple (Pittosporum), Rata blossoms (Metrosideros), Supplejack berries (Rhipogonum), Fuchsia, Mako-mako (Aristotelia), and practically all the seeds and blossoms that grow in this part of the bush. The opossum is not a grass-eating animal. They will eat white, or red clover, sweetbriar shoots, and seeds, but if an opossum is caged up and fed on grass, he will die of starvation. Also, if he were fed on turnips, it would take as much to feed one sheep, in quantity, as would feed twelve opossums. When I and my brother were catching 1 For recent regulations (May, 1921) see Appendix A, p. 556. opossums for the Society, we fed them on carrots, boiled wheat, bread, boiled tea-leaves with sugar, and anything sweet. The damage the opossums would do running at large would be very little, seeing that they never come on to open country. The animal is blamed for barking apple-trees, but the opossum does not bark a tree. He might scratch the bark with his teeth, but he does not strip it off. The opossum has one young one once a year. The young one is from five to six months old before it leaves its mother, and is very nearly half-grown. The first four months it is carried in its mother's pouch, and after it leaves the pouch it rides on the mother's back, until it is able to look after itself. The proper season for catching opossums would be from April to the end of July; that would save destroying so many young ones. Mr Hurrell of Ararata (Hawera) tells me they are destructive to fruit trees in his district, eating the shoots in spring-time and the fruit in autumn. This applies to apples and plums. At Kawau, they were reported as very destructive to the shoots of young plants, and to fruit. Colonel Boscawen of Auckland, who is a most reliable authority, states that as long as there is plenty of green stuff available, opossums do not interfere with fruit, but that the damage they are often credited with is the work of rats. On Kapiti Island they feed extensively on Kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile), Mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus), Passiflora tetrandra and Fuchsia excorticata, trees of the latter species being sometimes completely destroyed by them. In "Nature Notes" in the Lyttelton Times of 19th October, 1912, by Mr Jas. Drummond this passage occurs: Mr A. J. Blakiston, Manager Orari Gorge Estate, South Canterbury, where opossums are very plentiful, says: "My experience here is that they do very little damage. The garden adjoins the native bush and in the fruit season they eat and knock down some fruit, but do us no great harm.” Mr Dudley le Souef, Director of the Zoological Gardens, Melbourne, writes: Opossums are protected in Tasmania for half the year, in Victoria all the year round, and in South Australia and New South Wales for half the year during the breeding season. We find them only occasionally troublesome in apple, pear and peach orchards; but as they are easily snared and shot, one seldom hears of any complaints even from the large orchard districts 1. 1 All orchardists are not of this opinion as the following extract from an Auckland letter shows: "If you want to see how opossums and fruit trees thrive together, take a run down to Motutapu. Opossums you will see, but it will need a guide to show you where the fruit trees were planted. I have several acres in orchard, which today is free from Opossums, and needs only the regular care to combat moth, scale, scab, mildew, blight, dieback, fungus, leech, collar rot, birds, rabbits, picnickers Professor Flynn of Hobart states that even with the protection given to the opossum in Tasmania their position in the State is seriously endangered. It is estimated that 100,000 were killed in 1911 for their skins. Ring-tailed Opossum (Pseudochirus peregrinus) The Canterbury Society introduced two of these animals in 1867, but do not seem to have liberated them. Family DASYURIDÆ Australian Native Cat (Dasyurus viverrimus) In 1868 the Canterbury Society received two of these animals from a Captain Thomson. Presumably they were not liberated, as there is no further record of them. The introduction of hurtful carnivorous animals, except under Government sanction, has always been forbidden in New Zealand. Family DIDELPHYIDÆ Bandicoot (Perameles obesula) The Auckland Society obtained some bandicoots, how many is not specified, from a Mr E. Perkins in 1873, but there is no record as to what was done with them. These were probably the short-nosed bandicoot (Perameles obesula) which is common in Australia and Tasmania. Order UNGULATA *Pigs; Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) The first pigs landed in New Zealand were two little ones which De Surville presented to the Chief of the natives at Doubtless Bay in December, 1769. It is not known what happened to these early juvenile immigrants. Captain Cook introduced pigs on his second voyage to New Zealand as he states that while in Queen Charlotte Sound in June, 1773, "Captain Furneaux put on shore, in Cannibal Cove, a boar and two breeding sows, so that we have reason to hope this country will, in time, be stocked with these animals, if they are not destroyed by the natives before they become wild, for, afterwards, they will be in no danger." and small boys. These I can manage to fix during the daylight, but cannot see why a set of cranks, who have nothing of their own to destroy, should compel me to sit up at night to shoot further vermin. If I am counted out in the assumption, will some 'boobs' join me in bringing pressure on the Government, for the introduction of rattlesnakes, tigers and other interesting subjects, because the rattle and claws are beautiful, and the meat would compete with local grown bully?” T. N. Z. 3 |