-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Nineteenth Century Acclimatisation Societies
Weren't Too Bright
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:19:32 +1100
From: brian fleming <>
To: Laurie Knight <>
House and Tree Sparrows were introduced to Australia for precisely
the same reason - it was known that they fed their young mainly on
caterpillars, and other insects, while people forgot that adult Sparrows
are grain and seed-eaters.
Western Australia was most insistent that Sparrows should not be
established there, and special precautions were taken to ensure that
Sparrows did not follow the horse-teams working on the Trans-Australia
Railway as it was built across the Nullarbor. I believe the South
Australian gangs worked out as far as they could, then all camps
evacuated, and any surviving Sparrows were shot or poisoned. Then the
WA gangs worked their way out to join up. They still patrol for
Sparrows and Starlings in the border region.
More details in Eric Rolls' excellent book "They all ran wild"..
Anthea Fleming
On 19/01/2015 6:09 PM, Laurie Knight wrote:
A classic example is the transport of a grain-eating bunting to New Zealand for the
supposed purpose of controlling insect pests …
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150116161533.htm
How the yellowhammer bird became a Kiwi: From hero to villain in 15 years
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