530 Proceedings. 



Mr. Maskell did not siippose there was any particular advantage in 

 having growths of this enormous size. He would prefer the ordinary 



size. 



3. A gurnard, received from 'My. Haniilton, of Naj)ier, was 



exhibited. 



Sir James Hector said it was probably tlie true Trigla vanessa of 

 Kichardson, which has been confounded witli another fish from Tasmania, 

 figured in Professor McCoy's "Zoology of Victoria." There were three 

 species of the gurnard already known in New Zealand, and this probably 

 made a fourth. 



Fifth Meeting : ^iid October, 1889, 



A. de B. Brandon, President, in the chair. 



Neiu Member. — Eobert Heaton Ehodes. 



Papers. — 1. " On Eristalis tenax and Miisca vomitovia, 

 two Flies new to New Zealand," by G. V. Hudson, F.E.S. 

 (Transactions, p. 187.) 



Sir James Hector asked the author of the paper whether he could 

 offer any explanation as to why the humble-bee had spread with such 

 rapidity in the South, and not made its appearance in the North 

 Island. 



]Mr. Travers said he had liberated the humble-bee in the neighbour- 

 hood of INIasterton two years ago, and they must have increased, as he 

 had seen them in his own garden in Wellington. He procured them for 

 the purpose of fertilizing the red clover. The Acclimatization Society 

 had not paid sufficient attention to this matter. With respect to M. 

 vomitoria, it was looked upon with dread by the sheep-farmer in England, 

 as it not only damaged the wool, but deposited its ova in the sheep, and 

 caused great trouble ; so that it was rather alarming to learn that tliis 

 fly had appeared here. 



Mr. Phillips had noticed that sheep had been attacked by flies in the 

 way described by IMr. Travers, and the remedy used was kerosene. 



Mr. McKay said that the sheep were attacked when the wool was 

 moist, especially on warm wet spring mornings, and the fly did not con- 

 fine its attack to one particular part, but attacked various parts. The 

 introduction of M. vomitoria was a serious thing for the sheep-farmer. 



Mr. Maskell said tliat attempts were made in the early days to intro- 

 duce the humble-bee in Canterbury, but they were not a success. Five or 

 six years ago, however, there was a fresh importation. The increase had 

 been something wonderful ; in fact, they had in the South become a 

 nuisance, and the people complained that they deprived the ordinary bee 

 of the means of making honey. 



The Hon. R. Pharazyn said bees and flies were like rabbits— when 

 first introduced they were not noticed, but after a time the increase was 

 so enormous that it was difficult to keep them down. 



Mr. Field said it was easy to drive away the humble-liec by growing 

 the common elder, which they objected to. He was advised not to take 

 them to Wanganui, as they spoilt the flowers. 



Mr. Hudson, in reply, said that the probable reason why the humble- 

 bee had not established itself in the North Island was owing to its being 

 a social insect, thus rendering the introduction of an entire nest neces- 

 sary for its establishment in any fresh locality. 



