^o'-^^^"-] Hardy, Mixed PoUen Collected by Bees. yz 



when other blooms were scarce, while in the case of three 

 specimens of " bee-bread " taken from hives of the same apiary 

 soon after, two yielded homogeneous eucalyptus pollen only, 

 and the third, composed chiefly of the ornate spheroidal grains 

 of Hypochceris radicata or " False Dandelion," contained 

 also the angular grains of the above-named eucalypt. My 

 conclusion is, therefore, that although bees deliberately collect 

 pollen from one species when the flowers are in considerable 

 quantity within easy flight distance, they collect from various 

 species when the first favoured flower is not abundant or is scattered 

 amongst other blooms equally attractive, and that mixed pollen 

 is gathered by cleansing the body and limbs after exploiting various 

 species for nectar ; that pollen is at times deliberately taken from 

 flowers of both high and low level and irrespective of colour and 

 perfume ; and that the examination of two native bees seems to 

 indicate that the wild bees are less constant than the domesticated 

 insects, owing probably to the artificial location of hives of the 

 latter in areas where usually there is a profusion of native flowers 

 of one kind or where plantations of a single species have been 

 made. 



That the hybridization of eucalyptus trees vouched for by Mr. 

 J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., has been caused by native bees is to me a 

 theory easily conceived. There is room for further inquiry in this 

 direction, and the foregoing notes are ofl"ered in the hope that 

 the subject may receive attention from other members of the 

 club, especially members situated favourably for the observation 

 of native bees and plants. 



Reference to Plates. 



Plate vi. — Figs, i, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 — sections : i, Myrtaceae (Eucalyptus) ; 

 6 and 7, Composit?e ; 8, Passiflorea? ; 9, Epacrideae. x about 900. 



Plate vii. — Figs, m, 3, 6, and 7 — sections : 2, Composite ; 3, Myrtacece ; 

 4, Epacrideae. x about 1,000. 



The Physical History of the Plenty River. — In the 

 recently issued volume of the Proceedings of the Royal Society oj 

 Victoria (vol. xxii., N.S., p. 12), Mr. J. T. Jutson contributes an 

 interesting article on "The Physical History of the Plenty River." 

 As the valley of the Plenty has been visited by excursion parties 

 of the Field Naturalists' Club at various points, the article is 

 particularly interesting. Mr. Jutson, in his conclusions, indicates 

 that the present stream is comparatively new, and that an older 

 Plenty occupied the position now filled by the basalt sheet 

 commencing at South Yan Yean and trending south-westerly into 

 the valley of the Darebin Creek, and junctioning with the old 

 Yarra and old Merri Creek about the present position of 

 Clifton Hill. A second portion of his article deals with an 

 interesting case of stream capture at Warrandyte. 



