11 



Mr. Darwin, in his work on the origin of species, mentions the 

 fact that the red clover* was fertilised when growing strongly, 

 only by the intervention of Humble Bees, the trunks of these 

 insects alone being able to extract the honey frooi the flowers, 

 and in so doing convey the pollen from plant to plant, and that 

 where Humble Bees were plentiful, the red clover seed was pro- 

 duced in the greatest abundance ; that the Humble Bees' nests 

 were destroyed by field mice, and that field mice in their turn 

 were killed by cats, so that where cats were numerous, as in the 

 vicinity of towns, mice were less numerous, and Humble Bees 

 more so ; and that the yield of red clover seed might be expected 

 to be greater near a town than in the less inhabited parts of the 

 country. 



You will observe that it would be a patriotic act if any 

 emigrant would collect Humble Bees' nests in the autumn, and 

 take them out to New^ Zealand packed in ice. 



I trust that sufficient has been said to prove the importance of 

 economic Entomology. 



Now, the question uaturally arises, is there an increasing love 

 of Science in this country ? I think there is. 



The Government of the United Kingdom, interpreting as it 

 always does the national will, has built for the accommodation of 

 six learned societies, what may be fairly termed a palace at 

 Burlington House. Here the Royal, Linnean, Chemical, 

 Geological, and Astronomical Societies, and the Society of 

 Antiquaries, are provided with ample space for their increasing 

 libraries for years to come, and each society has good Council 

 and Meeting rooms, and apartments for their librarians and 

 attendants. 



I am quite certain that the Government would not have thus 

 recognized the claims of Science unless it felt that in so doing it 

 would receive the support of the majority in this countiy. 



Letters have lately appeared in Tlie Times advocating the 



* I have been always careful to use the words red clover, because, although 

 red clover seed is not produced in New Zealand, owing to the absence of Humble 

 Bees, but is always imported, the white clover (which, for the fertilization of 

 the seed, does not require the intervention of Humble Bees, the corolla being 

 shorter, the nectar is reached by the shorter trunks of other insects) spreads with 

 truly wondei-ful rapidity, eradicating where it flourishes the indigenous 

 herbaceous plants. 



