HYMENOPTERA 



279 



in districts and neighbourhoods where cuhivation is carried on, and 

 no doubt they destroy numbers of nests and larvae. But I have no 

 direct evidence of this. 



Mr W. W. Smith states that during the drought in 1891-93 in 

 Canterbury, starlings attacked and ate humble-bees during the spring 

 seasons, when food generally was scarce. Again in 1896 he recorded 

 that "last nesting season we noticed starlings several times capturing 

 and carrying the bees to their nests to feed their young." A North 

 Canterbury farmer states (in 1910) that he has repeatedly seen 

 starlings catching the humble-bees and carrying them off to their nests. 



In the following year the Akaroa Mail reported that tuis were 

 observed catching humble-bees and taking their honey-bags from 

 them. 



Mr Smith also reported in 1896 that numbers of dead humble- 

 bees were found during two previous seasons with a small puncture 

 either in their thorax or abdomen. On one occasion he saw a specimen 

 of Bombus suhterraneus seized by a large native fly — Asiltis varius — 

 which pulled it to the ground, pierced the forepart of the thorax, 

 and killed it in a few seconds by sucking out the viscera. 



In September, 1890, I found large numbers of dead humble-bees 

 about Dunedin, and these were always thickly infested with mites, 

 some parts of the body — especially the bare posterior upper surface 

 of the thorax — being covered with them to such an extent as to have 

 the integument completely hidden. 



Mr W. W. Smith (April, 1919) states that the red mites were 

 extraordinarily common on the humble-bees, and he thinks are or 

 were largely responsible for their remarkable diminution in numbers. 

 He adds, " I have not seen a humble-bee in the N. Island this month." 



The importance and value of the humble-bee to New Zealand 

 has been very considerable. Mr Smith states that within nine years 

 of the liberation of 90 queen bees in Christchurch in 1885, "the 

 sum of about ^£200,000 has been realized on red clover seed alone." 



Humble-bees were carried over to the Chatham Islands in October, 

 1890. 



They were also introduced into New South Wales from New 

 Zealand many years ago. 



Hive-Bees {Apis mellifica, Linn, and A. ligustica, Spin.). (Europe) 



The history of the first introduction of hive-bees into New Zealand 

 has been investigated by Mr Isaac Hopkins, late Chief Government 

 Apiarist, and from his report the following facts are gleaned. 



On 13th March, 1839, the Rev. J. H. Burnby and his sister 

 arrived in the * James ' at the Mission station of Mungunga, Hokianga. 



