POLLINATION OF THE BRITISH PRIMULAS. 117 
TABLE IIL.—Oxuır (P. elatior). 
Locality and Insect Visitors observed. 
Pounce Hall Wood, near Saffron Walden,—Watched a large Humble Bee 
(? Bombus hortorum) working very systematically, for a considerable 
time, among countless flowers, in a sheltered spot, He first visited every 
flower on one umbel; then every flower on every umbel on the same plant ; 
then flew to the next nearest plant, which he treated in the same way; and 
so on till I lost sight of him. 
Pounce Hall Wood.— Watched a similar Humble Bee (? B. hortorum) at 
work on the flowers very diligently and systematically, though it was late 
in the evening and raining slightly. 
Pounce Hail Wood.--Watched a good many Bees at work busily on the 
flowers, though it was late in the evening. There were three species at 
least—a few of the large Humble Bee (? B. hortorum), a good number of 
a smaller species (? Andrena gwynana), and a single one of a still smaller 
Dow Wood, Lindsell, Essee.—Watched one or two blackish Bees (? Anthophora 
acervorum) at work on the flowers. 
Meadows beside river at Gt. Bardjield, Essex.— Watched a blackish Humble Bee 
(? Anthophora acervorum) at work very busily and systematically. I saw 
him visit 108 flowers consecutively, rejecting many, but without even hesi- 
tating at the flowers of any other species, though various other early spring 
flowers were out in some abundance close at hand. 
Woods near Thaxted, Essex. — On a hot bright morning, I watched three species 
of Bee and one of Bombylius busily at work on the flowers in a sheltered 
glade in Avesey Wood, Of the Bees, the Honey Bee (Apis mellifica) seemed 
Some were visiting Oxlips and others Violets (there 
being no other flowers out adjacent); but, in either case, individuals seemed 
to be quite constant, either f$ one species or the other. The other two 
species were Humble Bees (? B. hortorum and Anthophora acervorum), and 
seemed to be present in about equal numbers. I watched two of these Bees 
(one of each species) which seemed to be visiting, quite indifferently, both 
Oxlips and Violets, both of which were out abundantly, but practically no 
In two other adjacent woods, I watched the same species all 
busily at work, in a similar way. One Honey Bee visited 23 Oxlip flowers 
consecutively, when I caught him. In one of these woods, I saw also a 
Sulphur Butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) visit three flowers consecutively and 
then fly around them for some time. 
Peverell’s Wood, Wimbish, Essex,—Watched several large Humble Bees be- 
longing to two species (? B. hortorum and BD. muscorum) at work, both 
in cut-down and thinly grown-up portions of the wood. 
Peverell’s Wood.—A fine bright day. Many Bees, of five or six sorts, busy 
Great Hales Wood, Ashdon, Essex.— A similar day. Humble and other Bees, 
of similar sorts, busy visiting Oxlips. 
Obsvn. Date. 
1881. 
1. April 21. 
1882. 
2, March 29, 
8. March 30. 
Bee (? Apis mellifica). 
4, April 10, 
5, April 10. 
6. April 11. 
the most numerous, 
other flowers. 
7. April 16. 
1883. 
8. April 7. 
visiting the Oxlips. 
9. April 8. 
10. April 30, 
Wood, Wethersfield, Essex.—A bright hot day. Watched a number of Bees and 
Bee-flies at work quite busily on a great profusion of flowers in a sheltered 
recently-cut portion, There were several species of Humble Bee, one Hive 
Bee, and some Bombylius (? B. discolor). 
