George Thomson (1848 1933) was born in Calcutta, grew up in Scotland and emigrated to New Zealand at 20. He settled there, working as a teacher and analytical chemist, and was eventually elected to the House of Representatives in 1908. Thomson had an interest in natural history, but he was especially fascinated by the biological battles between native species of plants and animals and more recent arrivals. Realising New Zealand's unique advantage in having written records about the introduction of new species from the period of Captain Cook's second voyage in 1773 onwards, Thomson was able to...