HUMBLE BEES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12444, 6 March 1906, Page 8

HUMBLE BEES.

Writing of the consignment of humble bees sent to Canterbury, Mr F. W. L. Sladen, who was entrusted with the work of securing them in England, said:— •* The number would have been much greater if I could have included Bombusterrestris.and the closely allied sub-species Bombus luoorum. Both Mr Hamm and myself thought it best to send you what I have got. We will do our best to procure a large number next autumn.'' Commenting on Mr Sladen's statement, Mr W. W. Smith writes to the "New Zealand Times" from New Plymouth, as follows:—" As we, unfortunately, have too many of Bombus terrestris in New Zealand already, it would bo extremely unwise to introduce any further consignments of this very destructive species. ' Bombus terrestris ' is as destructive among flowers as the kea is among merino sheep. Having a very short tongue, or proboscis, it is unable to reach the nectary of the flowers of most species of plants, and bites holes at tho base of such flowers, especially those of liliacious and leguminous plants, and extracts the honey therefrom without fertilising them. If anyone interested in the fertilisation of red clover would devote a few minutes to observing any of the large brcadly yellow-banded queens, males, or small neuters visiting the flo Avers, they will note them preying aside the numerous -staminal tubes and biting holes at their bases and extracting the nectar. __ It is now a very common species in New Zealand, and disposed over the whole of the colony. There is, therefore, no need to introduce fresh stock of this species. '' Of the habits of the sub-species, : lucorum 'of ' terrestris,' 1 oan say little, savo that it also is a shorttcngued form, and would, probably bo of little service economically in the colony. What purpose, therefore, would bo served in introducing it? It is always well to avoid any risks in the naturalisation of'exotic animals, especially when closely allied forms have proved to be an unmitigated nuisance. '•Regarding 'Bombus hortorum,' nine of which were' recently sent to th« colony by Mr Sladen. it also is very widely disposed, and has proved* a source of considerable wealth to the colony as a fertiliser of red clover. There are several well-defined varieties of ' hortorum.' Of these wo have two, ' harriseJlu6' and ' subte.rraneus' thoroughly naturalised. Both these forms possess a tonguo or trunk threequarters of an inch long, and are invaluable economic insects. Unlike the tactics of ' terrestris,' when they alight on the flowers of red clover, these insects raise their heads and probe each staminal tube separately in search' of tho nectar secreted at their base. During tho process the fine pollen grains adben; to the base of the tongue and tho forehead; tho bees thus carrying them from flower to flower, complete their fertilisation. The comparative methods of these two species of humble bees relative to red clover afford a valuable object lesson to young people in nature stud;-."