Part I INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL RECORD Chapter I INTRODUCTION THE naturalisation of animals and plants in any country is a most interesting and fascinating subject, as well as being one of very great and far-reaching importance. In the present work I have endeavoured to state what is known of the subject, as far as it relates to New Zealand. I have stated the facts regarding the first introduction of every species into the country, as far as these can be ascertained, and its subsequent success or failure in establishing itself. In gathering the information required and working out the material, it was soon evident to me that the subject was unique. It had never been attempted before-as far as I am aware-for any country. Indeed it was seen that New Zealand was the only country in which such a bit of history could be attempted with any prospect of success. The islands forming the group lie isolated at a great distance (over a thousand miles) from any other extensive land area. We possess a fairly accurate record of what was here when Europeans first visited these shores, and we have been able to follow the later introductions of new species with a certain measure of success. The missing records and the blank pages are very numerous, but they do not vitiate the general accuracy of these statements. I first approached this subject from the point of view of natural selection and (in Chap. XIII) have given an outline of the reasons which led me to investigate this question. But while the biological question of the origin of species was the raison d'être of this work, there are other aspects of the study which are of importance. Thus the generation of people now growing up in this country is living under conditions which are largely different from those which prevailed when the first settlers colonised the islands. The surroundings at present are partly determined by the primitive conditions, and partly by the introduction of many new animals and T. N. Z. I plants. Both the face of the country and its inhabitants have been largely changed, but hitherto no connected account has been available of the agencies which have brought about these profound changes. It is important then that such an account should be prepared, because every year as it passes makes it increasingly difficult to gather the materials. Then the educational value of the knowledge is considerable. The first generations of settlers have already passed away, leaving only isolated records behind them. The generation now passing witnessed the great outburst of acclimatisation zeal in the sixties, but it also failed to keep good records. The acclimatisation societies themselves were very careless in the matter. The Auckland Society has a lapse apparently of some 20 years in its history; the record is somewhere, but it is not available. Nelson has entirely lost its early records; it was one of the earliest societies to enter on the work of introducing new forms of animal life, yet no one seems to have thought it worth while to preserve a complete report of its doings. If such exists it has not been forthcoming. Otago has kept a complete record, but neither the society itself, nor any of its members can show a full set, and some annual reports are missing. And so on with many other societies. The information, therefore, which has been accumulated in this work has been gathered piecemeal. But by so putting it together, it will be possible to make a fresh start in regard to the present position, and any further additions to the fauna or flora can be noted and added to the lists now prepared. An important consideration is the practical value of such a statement as is presented in this work, in shaping the future policy of acclimatisation. It has hitherto been carried on in the most haphazard and irresponsible manner, districts, societies and individuals acting quite independently of, and often in direct opposition to, one another. One district protects hawks because they destroy rabbits and small birds; another destroys them because they attack game. One district imported stoats and weasels in order to cope with the rabbit pest; another destroyed them wherever found because they threatened the total destruction of the native bird life. There has been no settled policy. This has largely been due to the total failure of the community to grasp the scientific aspect of the question, or even to realise that it has a scientific side. This consistently British attitude towards things scientific (which it is to be hoped the war will largely modify, and in part dispel) has led to neglect of ordinary precautions in nearly all past acclimatisation experiments. Even as late as 1916 several of the societies were contemplating the contribution of a jointly raised sum for the purpose of introducing Australian swallows into the country, presumably to cope with some aspect of the insect trouble. Apparently no biologist was consulted in connection with the proposal. No one seemed to think it worth while to ascertain what was known as to the life-histories of the Australian swallows, for instance as to what insects they fed upon, or whether the birds were migratory and would stay in the country, if introduced. No particular species was pointed out as the desirable one, indeed it is doubtful whether any one of those who were responsible for recommending the step knew one species from another. Further, no one seemed to know that specimens of at least two species of Australian swallows (the Australian Tree Swallow (Pterochelidon nigricans) and the Australian Swift (Cypselus pacificus)) visit our shores nearly every summer, and that natural agencies have been trying to achieve on a very large scale what some of our acclimatisation experts proposed to do on a small scale with very little prospect of success. Still more recently (1916–17) an animated discussion has been going on in Auckland as to the desirability of introducing the "stubble quail or partridge" (Coturnix pectoralis), as a sporting bird, some persons being keenly in favour of, others just as keenly opposed to, the step, on account of the harm the bird might do to the farmers. Apparently the species has been already introduced three times into the country, nearly fifty years ago, at Christchurch, Auckland and Hokianga, but it did not become established. The whole history of acclimatisation efforts in New Zealand abounds in similar bungles and blunders, and while a certain measure of good has been achieved-notably in stocking our nearly empty rivers and lakes with fine food- and sport-fishes, yet the record of harm done is enormously greater. So-called acclimatisation societies to-day are only angling and sporting clubs, and it is a question whether the whole control should not be taken up by the Government. At any rate the public wants education on the question, and this work is a contribution towards this aspect of it. On entering on this task I did not realise how vast it was, and how fragmentary was the sum of the existing knowledge, but having commenced it, I had no thought of turning back, or of abandoning the project. Even if the record be imperfect, it will be of some use to future workers to have pieced together the available material. In writing some account of the introduced animals I at first thought of confining my attention to mammals, birds and fishes, but this seemed so inadequate that I went on from group to group until I found that my list included over 600 species, commencing with the Marsupials and ending with the Medicinal Leech. The line had, however, to be drawn somewhere, so I have left the microscopic forms for some specialist to deal with. Having launched out on the |
