96 GENERAL REMARKS ON LEGUMINOS^E. [CH. 



anthers, and is consequently covered with it, rubs 

 against the head of the bee and the base of the 

 proboscis, on which it deposits a certain quantity of 

 the pollen, to be again transferred to the stigma of 

 the next flower which the bee visits. 



The Common Pea (Pisum sativuvi) is said not to 

 be well adapted to our British bees. Its structure, 

 probably, has reference to some of the larger southern 

 species. 



In Vicia cracca each wing is united to the keel 

 in two places. Though the parts of the flower fit 

 closely to one another, still from the smallness of its 

 size the honey is accessible to most bees ; and, owing 

 to the conspicuousness of its bunches, it is much 

 visited by them. From their arrangement and elas- 

 ticity, the various parts of the flower resume their 

 original position after each visit. 



Vicia scpium, in general characters, agrees with V. 

 cracca, though the arrangement of the hairs on the 

 pistil is very different. The insects by which it is 

 visited are, however, much fewer. Its larger size, 

 coupled with other minor differences, excludes flies, 

 Lepidoptera, and the smaller bees. Even Bombus ter- 

 rcstris (the Common Humble Bee) does not attempt 

 to suck it, but bites a hole through the side. In 

 V. faba the wings and keel are less closely united, 

 and the honey is more easily accessible. The flower 

 also is less elastic, and if opened widely does not 

 again resume its original form. 



It appears then that the Leguminosae are all 

 adapted to fertilisation by bees, and, as Delpino 

 has pointed out, the flowers fall into four series. 



