CONSPICUOUS FLOWERS RARELY VISITED BY INSECTS 165 



mention is made of the use of sugar syrup in any other control 

 experiments, an omission which can hardly be regarded as 

 excusable. 



It seems desirable, therefore, in this connection to give a few 

 additional instances observed by myself, where the introduction 

 of sugar syrup resulted in frequent visits of bees. A group of 

 Zinnia elegans Jacq., in my garden, was almost wholly neglected 

 by insects. On the morning of August 16, I introduced 

 syrup of sugar into several capitula, renewing the supply the fol- 

 lowing day. During the forenoon of the 17th, a honey-bee 

 examined the ray flowers of two ungarnished capitula, and then, 

 coming to a head, containing syrup, sucked for a short time. 

 Later a worker of Bombus consimilis found the syrup. At 12 :30 

 p. m., there were on the flowers two honey-bees and two worker 

 bumblebees, Bombus consimilis and B. terricola. At 3:30 

 p. m., there were seven honey-bees and one bumblebee on the 

 flowers — there was syrup in a dozen capitula. The honey- 

 bees also examined the capitula which remained in their natural 

 condition. The experiment was now discontinued. Three days 

 later, on August 20, a honey-bee, undoubtedly one of the for- 

 mer visitors, examined many capitula; evidently it remem- 

 bered its previous experience. 



The brilliantly colored flowers of the scarlet runner, Phaseolus 

 multiflorus Willd. var. coccineus Lam., contain nectar; but 

 owing to the difficulty of depressing the carina, are much neglected 

 by insects. Occasionally in this locality females of Bombus 

 fervidus visit the flowers legitimately. I have also seen a honey- 

 bee for several hours fly from flower to flower inserting its 

 tongue in the opening beneath the standard, and apparently 

 able to reach a very small quantity of the nectar. On the 

 morning of August 16, I put sugar syrup on a few corollas, 

 and during the afternoon there were always from four to six 

 bees on the flowers. They also inspected flowers on which there 

 was no syrup. On the 17th, I renewed the supply of syrup and 

 the bees continued their visits during the entire day. 



Honey-bees have not sufficient strength to depress the carina 

 and obtain the nectar normally; but if the nectaries are punc- 

 tured they will then visit the flowers in great numbers. Every 

 year the scarlet runner is under cultivation in my garden, but I 

 have never known bumblebees to bite holes in the flowers except 



