My dear Sir

I wrote as I promised you to my friend M^r. Boys in New Zealand and have just received a reply dated April 4^th.² I fear the little he has said will not be sufficient to be useful to you.³ He says:—“I cannot answer your numerous queries with sufficient accuracy for a naturalist—that is to say with the positive assertions from actual observation that would be required—but I can tell you that bees have only reached as far up the country as Rangiora⁴ within the last twelve months, and that white clover did seed before bees were introduced, but red clover to the best of my belief did not— At all events the latter has become much more abundant during this last year. There are but very few insects indiginous to New Zealand that appear to supply the place of bees or perform their functions. I have never been able to succeed with French beans and scarlet runners during the many years I have been out here until this year, when I have had them in abundance which is I know attributable to the bees, having watched them. I have also noticed that bees prefer white clover to red; In the paddock in front of my house white and red clover being pretty evenly mixed, you would see a bee upon most of the white clover flowers and not one upon the red.”⁵

The rest of his letter is private gossip. If this scanty information is of any interest to you I shall be very glad.

I have been very much interested in your book on natural selection which you were so kind as to send me.⁶ I think I ought to have immediately thanked you on the receipt of it but I was expecting this New Zealand letter long before this. Will you think it presumption in me if I say that I think you have a slight error at p. 77. about field-mice—being destroyed by cats—⁷ I believe that cats never seek field-mice and if they come across one and kill they will not eat it. Owls and hawks are the great enemies of field-mice.

I wonder if we shall have the pleasure of seeing you at Eastbourne again this summer—⁸ I hope Miss Darwin is better and that M^rs. Darwin is well

I remain dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Rob^t. Colgate