GinLrEs.— Notes on some Changes in the Fauna of Otago. 318 
thieket of herbage, prineipally fern, tutu, and flax, and before this was 
burnt you could not lie down or go amongst it anywhere without being 
covered with fleas. Great differences of opinion used to exist as to whether 
these fleas were the true genuine flea / Pulex irritans ), and there is no doubt 
they were not so active nor so bloodthirsty and irritating as their brethren, 
which infested all domieiles alike. About these latter there was no room 
for doubt, for there was no lack of energy about them, and no difference in 
their bloodthirsty predatory habits. I remember, on one oecasion, camping 
out close to the west end of the West Taieri Bush, and after a night of 
energetic wakefulness following on a day of weary travel on foot with a 
heavy swag, killing hundreds of them in our blankets when we turned out 
in the joing. More than once I have seen, on entering a hut that had 
been shut up for a few hours, one's white moleskin trousers become gradually 
blacker and blacker with the innumerable fleas that swarmed on to the white 
object on the floor. The same kind friend to whom I have already alluded, 
sends me the following on this subject:—“In confirmation of what you say 
about the fleas, I may state that in the summer of 1856-57 I was one of 
several occupants of a bark hut on an island in the Molyneux River. The 
floor of the hut was the greyish-blue sand which is everywhere to be seen 
on the banks of the river, and it formed an excellent harbour for the fleas, 
which were exceedingly abundant and very troublesome. On one occasion, 
being cook for the day, I became so irritated by their bites when I was 
working before the fire that I took off my canvas trousers, turned them out- 
side in and ran my two thumb nails along the lining, destroying all that did 
not jump away. The tally of slaughtered ones was seventy-six, but many 
more than that must have escaped. An hour after my anathemas were once 
more both loud and deep." I could recall many circumstances to prove 
how extremely prevalent the fleas then were, but it would extend this paper 
to an undue length, and I believe it is quite unnecessary, as the fact will 
not be questioned. After the rough herbage, especially the fern, was burnt 
once or twice this insect pest almost disappeared, or at any rate became 
confined to its legitimate purpose in nature, that of a punishment for the 
want of cleanly household habits. I am not aware that anything else has 
taken the place occupied by this insect in the economy of nature, but its 
extinction (or reduction rather within proper bounds) has been brought 
about not by competition with other forms, but by the agency of fire. 
The Aphis lanifera, or American blight on apple trees, is an insect which 
was quite unknown here for many years after the settlers had gardens; but 
when it first appeared, whieh I think must have been about fifteen or 
twenty years ago, it spread everywhere with most marvellous rapidity. 
So also did another insect of the same kind, which attacked the large 
ol 
