NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 13 November 1890, Page 23

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Tuapkka writes:— The humble bee has had a very short spell in this district. About the middle of August the flrit one th»b came under my notice was.operating on a ti-tree bush. Two weext later, in a garden about six miles from here, fully 600 ft above sea level, quite a number were busy on two flowering shrubs and tome daffodils One day last week 20 were counted for me on one apple tree. A year ago I could never see more than two at one time. On rubbing out lome red clover heads last season I got a very fair saraoln of seed. On the mining reserve, about 20 years ago, I came across a circie of ted clover plantß about a foot in diameter ; in the centre was an old plant which seemed to have shed the seeds. The cattle in the district bad aooess to olover paddocks. After rubbing a good many heads I came aoross a few seeds iv shallow outside cups that had evidently been fertilised by the honey bee. I was incline! to discredit a statement made in a Southland note some time ago that the humble bee was making its home in rabbit burrows, but I find, from information that I had from two parties, that it may be coriect. About two months ago I came across a splendid lot of hooey bee 3in a rabbit burrow, as busy as if it had beeu the middle of summer. I could see the ends of at least tour rows of comb. I may yet find out what the humble bee requires with such a roomy cabin. The bee that we have got does not seim to me to be so white in the riogß that e-circl* 1 the body as one of the three varieties thai-, are common in Great Britain. There is an other big fellow, with dark body with a few darkred" oircles, very vlcsiom ; habits the same as the first as far as food plants, comb making, and nest selection go, but the boy of my day would sooner face a strong nest of wasps than hear the angry buzz of tht red bee at his ear. The third -variety ii of a lemon colour, smaller body, seldom seen on the same flowers as the othe. two aorta, and, as a rule, found occupying the neet of a mouse in the Close sole of the mea-iows, Their comb consists of a dirty-looking pabty sort of wax, ell in one lump, abnut the sizo of a teacup. The honey is very fine flavoured, I suppose from lemon thyme, a plant they seem to tavour. The other two varieties turn the mice out of their nests, but mostly under gr< und or in old fences. Comb construction is the same, but assumes far larger dimensions. All three varieties are infested with a small brown 1 >use like parasite of very active habits. Not content with annoying the poor bees at home, I have often observed quite a nu-iiber adhering to them while busy on flowers Richard Henry writes :— " Rubra" credits the starlings with destroying the caterpillars ten yearß ago, and the grasshoppers three yea im, ago; but those pests were very revere in parts of Australia, and almost disappeared about the same time wl hout the aid of starlings. " Rub a" admits that the grasshoppers were swarming in placeß three years ago. Why did the starlings allow them to do so ? and why did they start on the grasshoppers in February and clear tbem out, to the neglect of the other insects ? While feeding their young the starlings carry oft millions of young dragonfliee, when first out of the water to cast their skins. Anyone living in the vioinity of water may notice this mischief on a large scale nest month. I have no doubt but that they also destroy spiders and ichneumon flies Wo are constantly hearing of new pests of beetles and grub*. &c, and I believe that there are more pe&ts in New Zealand now than ever there were, part of which is to be credited to the starling! for destroying insect enemies, and that the whirligig of time will brine uh back the grasshoppers, and that we may be thankful if our imp. rtiu« craze brings us nothing worse. .None of the pests appear to be com iuuous unless severely culled like the rabbits. S. Stratford writes :— " R. H. B." a^ks if the cave at Waiareka Valley has ever been explored ? Yes. several persoiiß, old residents at Oamaru, have been in it. It could hardly be called a cave ; it was simply a large hole in the white stone rock The entrance was imall, and to some ext-nt wan filled with rubbish I never heard ot there beii-.g any moa bon<-8 found in ib. There was a skeleton found, which was pronounced by Dr Williimn, of Oamaru. »o be that of a Msori. [ have no doubt but the W M. of the Osmaru Masonic lodgo would let nnyone see the ekull. There were a number of sheep bones in it ah the time the human ones were removed — some time at the end < f 1863 or early in 1864 Nrar to the oave— on Mr Matthews' farm, I think— in a spring or bogiiy piece of ground, the writer and two residents) of Oamaru obtair.ed a large number of moa bones; in fact we could have filled the fpring cart which we had with thfi bones I obtained two almost perfec' skeletons of the bird, both of which I sent to Bngland. To some of the small bonfsof the feet were attaohed pieces of »kin. and all the bones appeared quite fresh. A few of the smaller bones of the head we could nr>t find. We certainly must have tak' n out o' the hole the bones of some ei«ht or nine birds lam under the impression that the bones ot two birds were seiit to Dr Hector at 1 "Wellington, and can be 6een in the museum of that place. R. C, St. B*thans.— A was perfectly within his rights in ordering up R. Youkg Man —Raw eggs are Rormtlmei taken with a view to clearing t hi tl-roat, and voicn tablflts, to be obfnlred from any chemist, are need for the same purp se. Wf do n<>t know of any safe remedy which ycu oitld employ to destroy such superfluous hair. H. S., Chatton —It is alleged that the highest running jumo was imde by r j . W. I.'owdo'i at (he Havtor Volunt> < r Camp' on Auguat 6, 1890, and the height is (jiven at 6ft s(jin. R. N.— Your rr-cipe would be arcptnble to thp pub'io Wo h*ve only onn rnpy of tl)i> H.i:is,ird proof, anil aro 6<>rrT we ,v.v. or supply \v\i 0 A.. Teaneraki —The linen wee >c.ireelr suited f< r publication m Mip Wifc'iesi. Jl y< v forward btaraps we will return the MS H. B. F. . Thble Hill.— We did not. publish your letter as many of your statements, th -u^h prohab'v in par* true, were libel'ou». If you object to the ranger's valuations, yon should writ? to the Land Boird, giving reasons fur your objections. J X., l.ove'.l'B Flat —The fen is fixed by "Thp ßirths and Deaths Act 1*75," aurt is 2. 6 1 v stamped, ami 5s unntnmped. Enquirer —We wi'l try to get the information n^xt week. ' Idabnoc - There are two runs, each of six. OccuusT, Queenstown.— You should get spectacles to suit your sight, and never read in a dim light. S. B. M., Wairio.— (l) The county council cane rnpel yon to kpep all gorse off the road, or have it removed at your expense. (&) Both parlies are responsible 'or their respective sides of a hedge along a boundary fence unit as each atrrees to keep a certain half of the fence in good order. Paul Pby writes : —With your kind permission I with to correct an error in "Old Ota go's " narrative in y ur isiue of latt werk. f^r Jamie Oullen wai never with Mr Da« son. It should have been Jamie Oallander, who remember! quits well moit

of the worthies of the good old times. la fact both the above are living and well at the present time, and are both living on the Taieri, and the pet lamb used to •• r«m >v anybody that got in its way, so it had to be destroyed. If " Old Otsgo " should come out to the show next week he will have a chance of seeing a few of the good old idontitiei, haie and hearty, acd long may they be spared. G. A.. Dunediu. -(1) No. (2) No. (3) No. (4) Get a transfer of the shares properly stamped, and send it to the secretary to register you as holder of the shares. a. H., Millere Flat.— A cannot impound if his fences are broken, but he oan sue for damages, as B is bound to keep his cattle off A'u lands. Hume, Invercargill.— You have not complied with our rule, published in the Daily Times, requiring announcements of this nature to be certified by either our agtnt or the local olergyman. The charge is 3s, and you have only sent 2s 6d. On oompljing with the conditions we ehall be pleased to ;iiißerfc your announcement in Times, and Witness.