' 337 



THE POLLINATION OF THE PEIMROSE. 

 By A. A. Dallman, F.C.S. 



(Continued from p. 322.) 

 2. Erbistock, Denbighshire. 



Shortly after leaving Cwin, a couple of clays (April 29 and 30, 

 1911) were spent at Erbistock, nearly thirty miles to the south-east— 

 a quiet little village situated in a bend of the Dee and close to the 

 junction of Shropshire, Denbighshire, and Flint (the anomalous 

 detached portion known as Maelor Saesneg) : the Dee at this point 

 approximately marks the division between Permian strata (on which 

 Erbistock is situated) and the more extensive Bunter tract to the 

 east. There is a fair amount of woodland along the Dee valley, 

 which is very picturesque hereabouts. The courses of various small 

 tributaries are marked by prominent wooded dingles or nants. These 

 nants, which are quite a feature of this area, afford a congenial 

 habitat for the Primrose, which is also abundant on banks, field- 

 borders, and lane-sides. 



On the bank of the road north-west of Erbistock Ferry, which 

 was fairlv sheltered with a north-easterly aspect, Primroses were fairly 

 plentiful A number of flowers on the opposite side also received 

 notice. This stretch (some 4-500 yards) was regularly patrolled 

 at brief intervals from 10 to 1.30 on April 29. The average 

 altitude here was about 240 feet above sea-level ; climatic conditions 

 were quite favourable, the night being calm and mild. The visitors 

 to the flowers were as follows :— 41 Limacidce, 10 Rhagonychafusci- 

 cornis Oliv., 4 Forficula auricularia N., 4 Helix hispida L., 4 Oniscus 

 asellus L., 2 Otiorhynchus picipes Fab., 2 Tachyporus hypnorum 

 Fab., 1 Meligethes sp., 1 Barynotus obscurus Fab., 1 Adrastus hm~ 

 batus Fab., 1 Brymus brunneus Sahib. 



The slup-s may have included more than one species, though 

 Umax a a rest is was certainly represented. I was much struck by 

 the behaviour of Bhagonycha fuscicomis, a distinctive beetle with 

 slender head and thorax which allowed the insect to insinuate itselt 

 and feed upon the pollen. Four Triphcena larva? were seen here, but 

 they confined their attention to the foliage. Although various moths 

 were flying about none visited the flowers under observation. Circum- 

 stances would not permit of systematic day observations, but I noticed 

 two examples of Antliophora pilipes visiting flowers. This early bee, 

 which at first sight looks very like a black Bombus of some kind 

 has a distinctive flight and is a strong and rapid flier. Several 

 flowers were found tenanted by numbers of mites, which Dr. Murray 

 subsequently referred to the genus Trombidium. Thrips were seen 



as usual in abundance. ,„,,,- i ™ o^ t 



Another visit was paid to Erbistock in 1913 (March 20-24). 1 

 only watched the Primroses on two successive nights (20th and 21st) 

 between 10 and 11, for rather less than two hours in all. These were 

 clear, full moonlight nights, but there had been squalls with ram and 

 sleet during the day, on the 20th, which only abated shortly before 

 Journal of Botany.— Vol. 59. [December, 1921.] 2 a 



