56 A NEW ZEALAND NATURALIST'S CALENDAR. 



hina-hina,* and many others of the same type. By the 

 introduction of fruit-eating birds into the country the 

 spread of such plants has been greatly increased. 



Lastly there are a few plants whose fruits or seeds catch 

 on to passing animals, and are thus carried about. These are 

 necessarily few in a country which possesses no indigenous 

 terrestrial mammals. But an examination of a common 

 piri-pirit (vulg. bid-a-bid) will show that it is singularly 

 well adapted for this mode of distribution, and that the 

 barbs which are so troublesome to the picnicker are 

 exqtiisitely formed little anchors of the most perfect 

 construction. 



III. 



A common visitor in many gardens, especially those 

 having a sunny exposure, is a burrowing bee, technically 

 known as Latnprocolletes fulvescens. I have never found 

 it in my own garden, which slopes in a south-east direction, 

 whereas I only remember to have seen this insect on 

 northerly or north-westerly exposures. The mature insect 

 is only to be found in summer, and very much has still to 

 be learned about its life-history. 



In December or January (perhaps earlier), on a bright 

 .sunny day, the surface of a firm earth or gravel path may 

 often be seen to be covered with little mounds from a half 

 to one inch in height thrown up beside a small hole. 

 While looking at these, a small light brown hairy Bee, 

 not much more than half an inch long, lights down near 

 one of them, and, after looking round to see that the coast 

 is clear, runs quickly forward and pops down the hole. 

 Probably the insect is yellow with pollen, and bears a 

 couple of balls of pollen on its hairy hind legs. If one is 

 watched emerging from the hole, the pollen is seen to be 

 gone ; the insect has made away with it somehow or other. 

 On flying away, the bees proceed at once to visit the flowers 

 near at hand, being particularly fond of marigolds, summer 

 chrysanthemums, and other composites, all of which pro- 



* Melicytus ra/niflorus. ^Acizna saitguisorbff. 



