Animal Life.

Until the systematic colonization of the Islands, New Zealand was very destitute of terrestrial or animal life suitable to the wants of civilized man, the only animals being a small rat, a dog (which had probably been introduced since the Islands were peopled by the present race), and pigs, the produce of some animals left by Captain Cook and the navigators that succeeded him: through the agency of the early missionaries, and by whaling ships, many useful animals and plants were then introduced. In more recent years all kinds of domestic animals, many of very high quality, have been imported, including valuable breeds of sheep and the American llama. Domestic poultry of almost every species have also been introduced, and, through the agency of the Acclimatization Societies, many species of game (such as hares, pheasants, partridges, black-game, red grouse, quail, &c.) and a host of the smaller birds of Europe and other countries have been spread throughout the Islands. The rivers also of New Zealand, which formerly produced only the eel and a few small salmonoid fishes of little value, are gradually being stocked with salmon and trout, both European and American, while perch, tench, and carp have also been satisfactorily acclimatized.

There are now in New Zealand about fourteen million sheep, seven hundred thousand cattle, and one hundred and sixty thousand horses.