a 
ATTRACTION OF FLOWERS FOR INSECTS. 275 
attract insects, this fact would no doubt be a complete reply. It 
is none, however, to those who fully admit the importance of scent 
in attracting, or, I should rather say, guiding insects to flowers. 
11. 
Prof. Piateau then refers to the experiments of Perez, who 
placed drops of honey in certain flowers (Scarlet Pelargoniums) 
which contain no honey, and are therefore neglected by Bees; 
when, however, drops of honey were put in them, insects are ere 
long attracted by the scent of the honey. Perez, however, tells 
us that, after awhile, * La couleur écarlate s'était si bien associée 
dans leur souvenir à l'idée du miel, qu'elles se posaient à la fin sur 
des fleurs de cette couleur n'en ayant pas recu, et ne les quittaient 
qu'aprés s'étre assurées, par un examen scrupuleux et persistant, 
qu'elles n'avaient rien à y recueillir.” Here, therefore, Perez 
dearly shows that the Bees were attracted by the red colour. 
Prof. Plateau, indeed, states that his experiments did not in this 
respect confirm those of Perez. Yet he, himself, subsequently 
says, "Lorsque l'insecte avait ainsi absorbé le liquide d'un 
certain nombre de fleurs miellées, il lui arrivait de se diriger vers 
les Pelargoniums non munis de miel." This statement confirms 
that of Perez, and shows that the Bees, having found honey in 
some scarlet Pelargonium flowers, went and inspected others. 
In this case they were evidently guided by tbe colour, for, 
as already mentioned, the scent of scarlet Pelargoniums does 
not attract them. This seems a crucial case, fatal to Prof. 
Plateau's contention. 
12. 
Lastly, Prof. Plateau made some final observations on single 
Dahlias. Selecting a plant in the middle of a group, he care- 
fully removed the central flowers and consequently the honey, 
leaving, however, the conspicuous ray-florets. Having done so, 
he says * : —' Durant trois quarts d'heure d'observation attentive, 
on né voit aucun insecte se poser sur les inflorescences trans- 
formées.” But why should they do so when the honey had 
been removed? He adds, however, that * Les Bourdons ou 
les Mégachiles qui quittent les capitules de Dahlias intacts se 
portent naturellement assez souvent vers les Dahlias mutilés 
mélangés aux précédents, mais ces insectes se bornent à déerire 
evant ces inflorescences quelques courbes prouvant incontest- 
* Bull. Acad. Bruxelles, Sér. III. xxxiii. (1897) p. 39. 
