TIIE POLLINATION OF THE PKIMROSE 339 



Several slugs were at work on the flowers and I had previously 

 noticed, in the daytime, that 33 out of the 170 or so plants had 

 blossoms showing the results of Gasteropod or other visitors. 



Sussex. 



Tile Hurst Wood (largely Oak), where. most of the Sussex obser- 

 vations were made, lies about nine miles inland (north) of Beachy 

 Head and one mile north-west of Hailsham. This is on the Weald 

 Clay, and the two situations to which these notes relate — the north- 

 east and south-western portions of the wood — have an average eleva- 

 tion of about 60 feet. The South Downs lie some three or four 

 miles away on the south and south-west, while a considerable alluvial 

 expanse of marshland, the Pevensey Levels, extends for some distance 

 to the east and south-east. These Levels now " form an extensive 

 flat, scarcely raised above the sea-level, intersected in all directions 

 with dikes and ditches extending for nearly seven miles along the 

 shore of Pevensey Bay, and running for about six miles inland" 

 (Koper, Flora of Eastbourne, 1875). The little Cuckmere river 

 Hows close to the wood on the north-west, while to the north there 

 is an expanse of upland country of Greensand formation 'which is 

 pleasantly wooded in many parts. 



Observations extending over fifteen hours were made on various 

 occasions between 11.30 and 8 on seven days between May 4-13, 

 1911. These were under rather unfavourable conditions, as the 

 flowers were on the wane, the season being well advanced and the 

 weather was largely unpropitious. Cold east winds prevailed during 

 ten hours of the fifteen, and, though sunny for about ten, there were 

 oidy about five hours of warm sunshine accompanied by calm. The 

 following were observed visiting the flowers here : — Bombylius 

 major L., 1 Bombus hortorum L., Antliophora pilip.es Fab., 2 Halic- 

 UbS leucopus Kirb., Epurcea longula Er., Meligethes difficilis Sturm., 

 M. Jlavipes Sturm., M. maurus Sturm., M. picipes Sturm., Tacit y- 

 porus solutus Er., 2 Araneida. 



Bombylius was a not uncommon visitor ; examples were seen each 

 time the' flowers were watched during bright sunshine. Bombus 

 hortorum was sucking nectar (May 9) while the two examples of 

 Halictus leucopus $ —captured in Miss Bray's garden— were investi- 

 gating the mouth of the corolla-tube. The latter may have been 

 seeking pollen, as its tongue is much too short to permit of access to 

 the nectar. The various Coleoptera appeared to be not uncommon, 

 but statistics as to their relative frequency were not obtained. 

 During three hours' watching (11.30-2.30) on May 7 it was observed 

 that, though many bees of various types were about, they avoided the 

 Primrose. It should not be forgotten that this was near the close of 

 the Primrose season, and the competing claims of other plants must 

 not be overlooked. Thrips commonly infested the flowers. 



Nine visits were made to the same place in 1912 ; the flowers were 

 watched between 12.15 and 5.0 for about twenty-five hours, between 

 March 16 and April 27. South-westerly winds prevailed during a 

 considerable portion of the time, which, on the whole, was warm and 

 sunny. The general conditions were much more favourable than in 



