36 KA.NSAS UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN. 



attempt and support itself by placing the leg over the terminal 

 portion of the pistil while it secured the pollen. The function 

 of the incurved petal is not perfectly clear. With an insect 

 well dusted over with pollen from both right- and left-handed 

 flowers, it seems improbable that cross-fertilization in any 

 considerable number of cases should occur from some grains 

 dropped on the incurved pistil. 



The writers are not sure that the insect in flying to another 

 flower strikes the tip of the pistil against the side, as stated by 

 Robertson. Certainly, in many cases, the insect, while collect- 

 ing the pollen, supports itself by placing one leg over the tip 

 of the pistil. When the leg bears a large mass of pollen, which 

 is being stored there, it seems hardly possible that the flowers 

 could fail to be pollinated. It might be suggested that, since 

 the stamens for the most part point in the direction of the in- 

 curved petal, the function of this petal is to prevent access to 

 the stamens, except in the cases in which the insect supports 

 itself by means of the pistil. While this seems to the writers, 

 at the present time, the most logical of the two functions so far 

 suggested, much more careful observation work must be done 

 before this point is finally decided. The petal may to a certain 

 extent, in connection with the pistil, serve as support for the 

 insect. Todd and Robertson observed only humblebees visiting 

 the flowers. The writers obtained : 



Apis mellifica Linn. Lake View, August 7. Seven specimens. 



Agapostemon texanus Cress. Lake View, August 7. 



Mellisoides bimaculata (St. Farg) Lepl. Lake View, August 7. 



Mcyachlle petulans Cress. Lake View, August 7. 



Bomhus separatus Cress. Lake View, August 7. 



As in the case of Solatium, it will be seen that the collecting 

 period extended over a very short period of time. More search 

 would doubtless greatly increase the list. 



Robertson reports the following species as collecting pollen : 

 Bombus virgi ulcus Oliv., B. separatus Cress., B. americanorum F., 

 and B. scutellaris Cress. 



August 28, when the blossoming season for C. chamsecrista was 

 almost over, an examination of material from the above-named 

 region was made for the purpose of determining the number of 

 seeds produced by a single plant. Fifteen pods were selected 



