ISLE OF MAN PLANTS. 11 



ou any other hypothesis it is difficult to see why they should con- 

 gregate on the particular species of plant which had been observed 

 to produce intoxication. 



Undoubted instances of intoxication were not seen until the 

 following summer (1891). Ou Aug, 18th, an exceedingly warm and 

 sunny day, I was at Abersoch, in iS. Carnarvonshire. A number of 

 humble-bees were observed showing the usnal symptoms of intoxi- 

 cation after visiting the flowers of Carduus lanceolatus and of Centaurea 

 Scabiosa. By far the largest number, however, were seen on Canlnus 

 nutans. Several of the intoxicated bees were taken off the fiower- 

 heads and imprisoned in small boxes ; they were released after 

 intervals of five to fifteen minutes. In every instance they had 

 perfectly regained their power of flight and made their way straight 

 to other plants of Carduus nutans. 



It may be well to state that all the above observations were 

 carefully entered in a notebook ou the spot. I have been told that 

 the hive-bee often gets intoxicated, but I failed to obtain any trust- 

 worthy accounts of the phenomenon from those who professed to 

 have seen it. I have also been unable to find any published 

 accounts of it, and this note is written chiefly for the purpose of 

 eliciting further information on the subject. 



The following would seem to be a fair summary of the facts and 

 of deductions to be drawn from them : — 



(1) That at certain seasons the honey of some capitulate plants 

 contains a deleterious substance which produces an intoxicating 

 effect on the bees visiting the flowers. 



(2j That the phenomenon must materially assist in producing 

 cross-fertilization of those flowers. 



(3) That this is not a normal arrangement for producing cross- 

 fertilization. It is conceivable, however, that in the course of time 

 the success of the arrangement might cause it to become normal. 



It may be suggested that the curious effect of the honey may be 

 due to fermentation consequent on the attack of some fungus. It is 

 highly desirable that the honey should be carefully examined, in 

 order to find the nature of the change and of the agent producing it. 



ISLE OF MAN PLANTS. 

 By W. p. Hiern, M.A. 



I 



At the suggestion of some of the foreign botanists who joined 

 last September the Botanical section of the excursion to the island, 

 in connection with the Liverpool Meeting of the British Association, 

 I give a list of the determined plants which were noticed as wild by 

 the party. The advanced period of the season, the stormy, rough, 

 and rainy weather, and the rapid movement of the excursion were 

 all unfavourable for obtaining a good supply of specimens. The 

 determination of the parasitic fungi and of some few other plants 

 has been kindly forwarded by Prof. P. Magnus, of Berlin, who was 



