£00 Transactions. — Zoology, 



and blackbirds amongst his small fruit, the codlin moth, American blight, 

 scale, etc., amongst his larger fruit, the difficulty of getting in his seed and 

 of gathering his crops through disorganization in the central weather office, 

 and the impossibility of getting a remunerative price for what he does 

 succeed in bringing to market, may count upon another source of comfort 

 and profit, in addition to all those he at present possesses, in the trouble- 

 some visitor which forms the subject of this notice. 



Three questions in connection with the invasion seem deserving of 

 consideration : — 1. Whence do the animals come ? 2. To what species do 

 they belong ? 3. What kills them off in such numbers ? 



Now, as to the first question, the local journals of the past six months 

 seem to show that the Province of Marlborough, and in particular the dis- 

 trict about Blenheim and Picton, first had the visitation. This was, I 

 believe, about five months ago — that is to say, in the depth of the winter. 

 Thence the rodents made their way in a westerly direction through the 

 Wangamoa to Wakapuaka, Nelson, and the Waimeas. Thousands of them 

 made a mistake while passing on the eastern coast of Blind Bay towards 

 Nelson. They took to the Boulder Bank and travelled along that curious 

 prong of land to its very extremity. To continue their course onwards they 

 then boldly swam across the passage leading into the harbour, rather than 

 lose time by retracing their steps. From the Waimeas the invading force 

 journeyed onwards round Tasman Bay to the Motueka ; took possession in 

 countless myriads of the valley of the Motueka, spread round Golden Bay, 

 passed Collingwood, and planted their outposts even as far as Cape Farewell. 

 They have now completely overrun the southern shores of Cook Straits, 

 and have even appeared in great force on D'Urville Island, which 

 apparently they could only have reached by swimming the French Pass. 

 How far southwards the invasion has extended there seems no means of 

 immediately ascertaining, as a great part of the country between here and 

 the Canterbury Plains is either very sparsely peopled or unoccupied 

 altogether. On the Lyell Koad, throughout the whole distance, they are in 

 swarms. Probably ere this, if they have continued their disposition to 

 travel in search of fresh fields and pastures new, they have made their way 

 to Westland and Canterbury. 



Now, this is the whole of what we know as to their march : the question 

 " whence do they come ?" still virtually remains unanswered. I think, how- 

 ever, if we consider where they first put in their appearance, we may fairly 

 conclude that their previous abode was somewhere in the mountainous 

 country around the valleys of the Wairau and Awatere, — midway, per- 

 haps, as the bird flies, between Nelson and the little township of Kai- 

 koura. My friend Mr. Conrad Saxton, who is very well acquainted with a 



