General copyright and disclaimer - ResearchSpace@Auckland ...

position of curator at the newly opened Francisco-Carolinum Museum in Linz, where he worked
from January 1893 until his death on 3 April 1902.
The only book written by Reischek during his lifetime was Caesar: The Wonderful Dog
(1889), a collection of reminiscences of his faithful companion during his excursions in the North
and South Islands and a guide to training animals, camping and bush and alpine exploration,
which was “dedicated to the people of New Zealand” and published a month prior to his
departure. 25 The original handwritten manuscript is over 200 pages in length, and provides a
summary of his activities between 1879 and 1889, as well as additional material on taxidermy and
preparatory work and a section on hints for amateur geologists, ornithologists, botanists and
collectors of reptiles and insects. It also appears to have been written with the aid of a native
English-speaker, and incorporates translated passages from his diaries, but was ultimately
shortened to its present length of fifty-seven pages. 26 As a result, the published work has more to
do with the antics of his dog, animal training and exploration preparations than his perceptions of
New Zealand. He did, however, publish numerous articles between 1877 and 1896 on the results
of his frequent expeditions in New Zealand in such journals as Transactions and Proceedings of
the New Zealand Institute, Mittheilungen des Ornithologischen Vereines in Wien and
Jugendheimat, catering specifically to ornithologists, naturalists, anthropologists, as well as more
general and younger readers. What is notable in these instances is that, when addressing the same
issues, Reischek does not alter significantly his arguments for the New Zealand and Austrian
readerships. His main intentions in both cases were to relate various findings and observations on
native avifauna, in conjunction with popular narratives of specific journeys and on the Maori to a
lesser extent, while educating both audiences about the effects of introduced pests and predators,
and the human impact on the natural environment. Even in his English texts he does not hold
back on criticisms and advice regarding conservation matters, yet, without a doubt, it is his later
German-language contributions which offer the most variety and depth.
25 Andreas Reischek, Caesar: The Wonderful Dog, or: The Story of a Wonderful Dog with Some Notes on the
Training of Dogs and Horses. Also, Hints on Camping, Bush and Mountain Exploration in New Zealand. Auckland:
Star Office, 1889. Although Reischek junior published the work Cäsar, der Freund des Neuseelandforschers in 1928,
it is not in fact a direct translation, but a work loosely based on the adventures of Caesar from Sterbende Welt and
Caesar: The Wonderful Dog and meant for a younger audience, which he then expanded in Romantic fashion to
emphasise the dog’s “Heiligsprechung” by Maori and include a section on Maori myths (Andreas Reischek, Jr.,
Cäsar, der Freund des Neuseelandforschers. 3 rd Ed. Wien: Verlag für Jugend und Volk, 1952).
26 Kolig, Umstrittene Würde, 68; Aubrecht, “Andreas Reischek”, 21. King incorrectly claims Reischek was “unable
both to finish it and to bring what he had written to a publishable standard, however, because of his difficulties with
written English” (King, Collector, 107f.).
226