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Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 151, 20 March 1908, Page 4

A peculiar of tho strong westerly wind that was blowing on Saturday was noticed by a gentlom.m at New Brighton, says the* "Lyttolton Times," during tho afternoon. Ho stated that whilo walking along tho bcacli ho counted somo 50 humble bees, most of them dead,,which had been washed up by the tide. Ail examination showod that tho majority of tho insccts were heavily ladon with honey, and tho most reasonable theory regarding their destruction was that thoy had been unable to fly against tho wind, and had been blown out to sea until thoy were oxhausted. Tho gentleman says that lie has noticed bets on tho beach in numbers on previous occasions.

Mr. E. 11. Waite, Curator of tho Canterbury Museum, returned to Christchurch on Saturday, after' his expedition to-tho West Coast to cxamino tho Okarito whale., Tho beast was a fomalo baleen whale of record size. Thoy liavo boon recorded (adds tho "Press") up to 90ft: in length, but t-lio largest authenticated specimen measured 85ft. over all, while the stranded specimen is 87ft. from tip to tip. Its lowor iaw is 21ft. long and lift, wide, and tho ilukes of its tail span 21ft. Apparently it had beeni dead somo time before it was washed aslioro, as tho baleen: or whalebone is missing, and tho body was, oven when Mr. Waitc arrived, in an. state of decomposition. 1