1910] Graenicher, Red Clover and Bumblebees in Neio Zealand. 167 



May 26, 1905, and received by the Agricultural College at Guelph, 

 Ontario, shows, that in spite of the activity of the bumblebees, the 

 results have not come up to the expectations. This letter reads 

 in part as follows 4 : "Before the introduction of the bumblebee 

 into New Zealand from England in 1855, the yield of red clover 

 seed was not sufficient to be commercially payable. Since the 

 introduction, however, the yields have been more prolific, but it is 

 still thought that the best results have not yet been obtained. 



"We have in New Zealand, as far as we know, three kinds of 

 bumblebees, the descendants of those imported in 1855, viz., 

 Bombus terrestris, Bombus hortorum, and Bombus hortorum, 

 variety Harrisellus. Bombus terrestris is the most numerous and 

 is, I believe, considered quite unsuitable on account of the short- 

 ness of its proboscis. 



"My association would deem it a great favor if you could for- 

 ward me any information you may have gathered as to what bees 

 or insects you have in Canada most suitable for the fertilization 

 of red clover." 



In connection with the publication of this letter Jarvis informs 

 us that three species of bumblebees, viz., Bombus fervidus, B. 

 ternarius and B. borealis were collected from the flowers of the 

 red clover ; he further states, on the authority of Dr. Brodie, that 

 Bombus consimilis is common around Toronto, and that, according 

 to Dr. Fletcher Bombus fervidus is the most common species at 

 Ottawa, while B. borealis is rare. 



As to the habits of Bombus terrestris, one of the bumblebees 

 imported into New Zealand, we have seen above (Knuth), that 

 this species is unsuitable not only on account of its short tongue, 

 but that, to make matters worse, it mutilates the flowers without 

 giving them the benefit of cross-pollination. For these reasons 

 it is to be considered more harmful than beneficial, so far as the 

 pollination of red clover is concerned, and it would probably never 

 have reached New Zealand if those in charge of the importation of 

 bumblebees to that country had been familiar with its habits. 

 Bombus hortorum, on the other hand (and its variety Harrisellus) 

 is a long-tongued bumblebee, in which, according to H. Mueller 5 



4) P. D. Jarvis, Bumblebees that Fertilize the Red Clover; thirty- 

 sixth annual report of the Bnt. Soc. of Ontario (1905), pp. 128-129. 



5) Hermann Mueller, Die Entwickelung der Blumenthaetigkeit der 

 Insekten; Kosmos, Vol. IX, p. 360. 



