1910] Graenicher, On Humming-bird Flowers. 185 



opinion that cross-pollination can be brought about by insects only. 

 The very conspicuous flower presents a combination of yellow and 

 scarlet, but the latter being on the outside, and the flower in a pen- 

 dulous position, scarlet is the color visible from the sides and from 

 above. Each of the five petals is prolonged into a long straight 

 spur, which is directed upward, and in which the nectar is con- 

 tained. As indicated above, the humming-bird was seen at these 

 flowers on one occasion only, at Elkhart Lake, Sheboygan Co., 

 Wis. 



Impatiens biflora Walt. — The ground color of the flower is 

 orange, and this is copiously dotted with reddish-brown. There 

 is a continuation of the broad open corolla into a short bent 

 spur, which secretes the nectar. Judging from various reports 

 the humming-bird seems to be a regular visitor to these flowers 

 — wherever the two occur together ; and in the vicinity of Mil- 

 waukee such visits have been witnessed by the writer on several 

 occasions. Impatiens pallida Nutt. (Pale Touch-me-not), a sec- 

 ond species of Impatiens of our region, has larger and paler flow- 

 ers, and no visits of the humming-bird to these have been re- 

 corded so far. Robertson 7 compares the flower of /. biflora with 

 that of /. pallida, and considers in the first named "the red color, 

 the small landing-place, and the longer and narrower posterior 

 sepal" favorable to the visits of humming-birds. Robertson has 

 seen also bees and butterflies on the flowers, and at Milwaukee 

 the following additional visitors have been observed : two bum- 

 blebees (Bombus consimilis Cr. and B. separatus Cr.), another 

 long-tongued bee (Clisodon terminal is CrJ, a long-tongued syr- 

 phid-fly (Rhingia nasiea Say), and a short-tongued bee (Halictus 

 albipennis Rob.). The latter is not able to reach the nectar on ac- 

 count of the shortness of its tongue and was seen gathering pollen, 

 while all of the other visitors were sucking. 



Lobelia cardinalis L. — In referring to the visits of the hum- 

 ming-bird to these intensely red flowers Robertson 8 expresses the 

 view that the bird is especially adapted to these. Furthermore, 

 this author saw the humming-bird fly past the blue flowers of 

 Lobelia syphilitica L. without paying any attention to them, and 



7) Chas. Robertson, Flowers and Insects, III; Bot. Gaz., Vol. XIV 

 (1889), p. 300. 



8) Chas. Robertson, Flowers and Insects, VI; Bot. Gaz., Vol. XVI 

 (1891), pp. 68-69. 



