CHAPTER IV. 



THE Hymenoptera are perhaps the most interesting order 

 of insects, their brilliant colours, great activity, and un- 

 paralleled instincts rendering them alike attractive to the 

 young collector and scientific entomologist. They are, 

 however, not very numerous in New Zealand, several of 

 the most important families being completely absent ; in 

 fact, with the exception of the ants, there are no social 

 Hymenoptera native to this country. The information 

 I here give in connection with these insects does not 

 adequately represent the large amount of interest which 

 can be derived from their investigation, and I must there- 

 fore refer the reader to those admirable works by Sir J. 

 Lubbock on Ants and by Huber on Bees, which cannot 

 fail to interest all who read them. 



Family ANDRENID^E. 

 Dasycolletes hirtipes (?) (Plate III., fig. i). 



This is the true native bee of New Zealand, and may 

 be taken abundantly during the whole of the summer. 

 Its nest is constructed in crevices in the bark of trees, 

 &c., the insect very frequently selecting the spaces between 

 the boards of outhouses, where the loud buzzing noise 



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