<<Tim wrote that "Apis aren't native to the US.  I have a terrible problem
with this "Native" word.  I think it should be qualified by a time scale.
At what stage to you consider something to be native to an area?  A thousand
years?  A million years?  Five million?  Consider Native Americans.  Have
they always lived in America or did they come out of Africa like the rest of
us?
Harry>>

    In a British context, I sometimes read that such-and-such was probably
introduced by the Romans, but I've never come across speculation about
introductions by the Ancient Britons, though it would be a safe bet that
there would have been some, in my opinion. So I suppose the cut-off point for
'nativeness' round here is probably around the time of Julius Caesar. In a
North American context, wouldn't it be likely to lie at about the time of the
arrival of the Europeans?


Regards,

Robert Brenchley
[log in to unmask]
Birmingham UK