THE society's heritage prom the macleats. 623 



marks by W. S. Macleay, oh the possible hybridisation of Euealypts by birds. These 

 must have been coiimmnicated by k'tter to the Baron ; as I cannot iind any refer- 

 ence to the subject by W. S. Macleay in print. The remarks are quoted, with 

 coumients, by Dr. Woolls, in his "Contribution to the Flora of Australia" (p. 219), 

 and in his "Lectures on the Vegetable Kingdom," (p. 05) . And also by Mr. 

 Maiden in his paper "On Hybridisation in the Genus Eiu-alyptus"' [Report of the 

 U\inedin Meeting Aust. Assoc. Adv. Science, .January, 1!)(I4, )> 298]. Presenta- 

 tion-copies of some of the early numbers of the "Fragmenta,"' and of the ''Plants 

 of Victoria," duly inscribed, are included in our series of memorials of W. S. 

 Macleay . 



Di-., afterwards Sir Charles Nicholson was a friend of all the Macleays. He 

 came to Sydney in 1834, and practised medicine. He was elected Speaker of 

 the Legislative Council on the retirement of Alexander Macleay in 1846. He 

 was also I'hancellor of the University of Sydney. One of the extracts given 

 above relates how Dr. Nicholson, as Speaker, sent the skull of the supposed 

 Bunyip to W. H. Macleay. He is also mentioned in Huxley's letter to W. S. 

 Macleay . 



A very interesting memento of Dr. Nicholson, included among the memorials, 

 is a letter dated only May 15tli [probably 1859, and written in Sydney] to W. S. 

 Macleay, in which he says — "In speaking to you the other day about the Native 

 Bee, I mentioned a conversation I had with a Mr. Lubbock [when Dr. Nicholson 

 was on a visit to Englanil, in tlie ]>revious year], wlio read a ]>aper at the British 

 Association on some subject connected with the economy of the Bee, which, I 

 believe, was regarded as one of the most original Essays brought forward . I 

 send you his pamphlet, which pray keep. 



"I shall be obliged if you can intimate to me how 1 (■(juld manage to procure 



specimens illustrative of Mr. Lubbock's favorite study If you would 



also give me any infomiation on the points referred to in the accompanying note, 

 I could send it to him." 



The accompanying note by John Lubbock, afterwards Lord Avebury, was 

 written to Sir Charles Nicholson, from London October 12th, 1858. At this time, 

 Lubbock's home was at High Elms, close to Down, where Charles Darwin, whom 

 Lubbock regarded as "his father in science," resided from 1842 onwards. The 

 note is as follows — 

 •'My Dear Sir Charles, 



"If I remember right you told me on that pleasant afternoon we spent at 

 Cookridge, that the Wild bee of Australia has a sting without barbs, and that it 

 is being exterminated by the Common Hive Bee. 



"Since then, these two facts struck me as being very interesting, and I there- 

 fore repeated tliem to Mr. Darwin, saying, at the same time, tliat I was not quite 

 certain whether I had understood you correctly. 



"Mr. Darwin has asked [me] to write to you, and enquire whether my 

 memory is correct, and if so whether you would kindly allow him to mention the 

 facts, giving you as his authority. 



"He would also like to know in what districts especially tliis destruction of 

 the Australian bee is taking place; and whether it is effected by the Hive bee 

 actually attacking tlie Australian species, or, as Mr. Darwin presumes to be the 

 ease, by the appropriation by the Hive Bee of so much food that too little is left 

 for the Aboriginal species. 



