276 INSECTS 



were all liberated by me in different localities. I have not heard of any of 

 the B. lapidarius being seen, so I presume they did not live." 



The increase of the bees in the first few? years after their introduc- 

 tion was phenomenally rapid. The first were liberated at Christchurch 

 in January, 1885. In January, 1886, two were seen by Mr J. D. Enys 

 on Castle Hill on the West Coast Road (64 miles), and others 

 at Mount Peel 90 miles in another direction. Early in 1887 they 

 were reported from Kaikoura, 100 miles to the north, and from 

 Timaru, 100 miles to the south. At the end of the year they had made 

 their way from Oamaru up the Waitaki Valley, through the Lindis 

 Pass and on to the Hawea flats. In February, 1888, they appeared 

 at Dunedin, and at the same time at Waihola 30 miles south-west. 

 In November, 1889, they were first recorded from the head of Lake 

 Wakatipu, and in the beginning of 1890 were observed in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Invercargill. No doubt their spread to the west coast, 

 and to Cook Strait was equally rapid, but there is no record. Both 

 whole nests and queens were sent from time to time to the North 

 Island from Canterbury from 1888 onwards, in which year they were 

 first observed in Wellington, while the first record from Auckland 

 was in May, 1890. They became thus fully established throughout 

 New Zealand in less than ten years. • 



So rapid was the first increase of the humble-bees that apiarists 

 began to take fright, and it was very commonly feared that soon the 

 hive-bees would be crowded out from the flowers and that no nectar 

 would be left for them. In some districts, as in thistle-infested areas, 

 the bees swarmed to such an extent when the plants were in flower, 

 as to deter timid persons from going through. This extraordinary 

 rate of increase was not maintained. After a time the numbers 

 became reduced, till in some districts where they were formerly 

 abundant, they became almost rare. In most parts of the country 

 now, though humble-bees are fairly common, they are nowhere so 

 abundant as to constitute a pest or even a menace. 



The causes of this diminution in numbers have never been in- 

 vestigated, though a few observers have sought to give some explana- 

 tion of the facts. Hopkins considers that the rainfall is the chief 

 factor, and that those portions of Marlborough, Canterbury and 

 Otago where the annual rainfall is under 30 inches, are best 

 suited for the growth and increase of the bees. Portions of Otago 

 and Southland, a small part of Canterbury, Nelson, and a very small 

 portion of the North Island have less than 40 inches but more than 

 30 inches of rain per annum; while most of the North Island 

 ranges between 40 and 70 inches. Speaking of the diminution in 

 numbers Hopkins says : 



