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forwarded by coasting-steamer to Lyttelton, and were delivered at 

 the Society's (jardens on the 8th of that month. When the case 

 was opened, it was found that 48 were alive; of these, 36 were 

 strong and healthy, took to the wing at once, and flew off in the 

 sunshine to some clover-heads hard by ; they soon dispersed, and 

 many of them were noticed to fly high in the air, giving a parting 

 buz/, and were then lost to sight. The weakly ones were fed 

 with honey and kept warm ; and on the following day, which was 

 bright and sunny, they too were liberated, and flew away like the 

 others. The registering thermometer in tbe case was broken in 

 transit, so that no record of the temperature remained. A 

 second batch of 260, sent out by Mr. Nottidge in the ' Aorangi,' 

 arrived on the 5th February, 1885, and in this case the tempe- 

 rature had ranged from 35° to 80° ; there were 49 survivors, and 

 when taken to a favourable locality and exposed to the warm sun, 

 they all flew off with a strong healthy hum, and were soon lost to 

 sight. Mr. Farr, the Hon. Sec. of the Acclimatisation Society, 

 reports that moss is the best packing, and that it should not be 

 too wet, as wherever the moss became mildewed the bees were 

 dead ; but when the moss was free from mildew they were strong 

 and healthy, so that after a few minutes in the sun, during which 

 a thorough cleansing of wings, legs, body, and especially of the 

 eyes, was eff"ected, away they went with a cheery hum. A 

 correspondent of the ' Lyttelton Times,' in recording this as the 

 first successful attempt which had been made to introduce them, 

 and in happy ignorance that the females had been impregnated 

 before export from England, wrote that ' from the habits of the 

 humble-bee, it seems probable that, as they were apparently taken 

 during the winter period, when the drones have generally died 

 off', the shipment will be found to be only composed of females ; 

 if this should be so, of course their numbers will not increase.' 

 This prognostication was, however, falsified. A few of the bees 

 were seen occasionally in the suburbs of Christchurch during 

 the autumnal months, after which they hybernated, and in the 

 spring were seen again ; then for a while, as Mr. Farr reports, 

 ' none were seen ; doubtless this was the procreating season, for, 

 shortly after, their numbers were legion, amusing many with their 

 monotonous buzzing. This was the beginning of September, at 

 which time two were brought to me as something new in the 

 insect-world. Laigu numbers of nests were found, some of wliich 



