l6 A NEW ZEALAND NATURALIST'S CALENDAR. 



number of mice is largely dependent on the number of 

 cats. Hence," adds Darwin, "it is quite credible that 

 the presence of a feline animal in large numbers in a 

 district might determine, through the intervention first 

 of mice and then of bees, the frequency of certain 

 flowers in that district." 



Now, I am not aware of any enemies that the humble 

 bees have here. There are certainly lots of mice and 

 rats in the open (not field mice, however), but there is 

 no evidence whatever that they touch the bees' nests. 



In sauntering about the garden at this time of the 

 year I notice in the ground occupied by fruit trees 

 (which is not as free from weeds as it should be) that 

 when the sun is shining brightly one of the small weeds 

 becomes quite showy "with pretty blue flowers. The 

 blossoms are not only very ephemeral - lasting indeed 

 but a short part of each day, but they do not expand 

 except during sunshine. In this they resemble such well- 

 known flowers as the Star of Bethlehem (which is called 

 in French by a name signifying Lady Eleven O'clock), 

 and Pimpernel, which from its habit of closing its corolla 

 as soon as the sun is overcast is sometimes known as 

 the Poor Man's Weather Glass. 



The little blue-flowered weed is an European Veronica 

 or Speedwell (scientifically named V. Buxbauniii), which 

 I first remember in this part of the world as appearing 

 at Port Chalmers about fifteen years ago. It had 

 apparently sprung up where some chaff beds from an 

 immigrant ship had been burned. I have since met with 

 it frequently in gardens in the Taieri and elsewhere. 

 The little flower, which is less than half an inch across, 

 has its corolla so deeply divided as to appear to consist 

 of four petals, of which the front or lower one is smaller 

 and paler coloured than the others. These petals are of 

 a fine blue colour, striped with dark blue lines, which 

 converge towards the nearly white centre of the flower. 



