﻿The Insect-Visitors of Flowers. 



By John H. Lovf.ll. 



Gaultheria procumbexs L. Checkerberry, Creeping Wintergreen. 



The low habit of growth of this species amid grass and moss 

 renders it impossible to observe directly in nature the behavior of 

 its insect-visitors. In passing from plant to plant bees are com- 

 pelled to creep upon the grass or ground. To remedy this diffi- 

 culty I placed several plants in an inverted position with a speci- 

 men of Bombus ternarius, taken while at work on the flowers, in 

 a glass-covered box. At first it was greatly disturbed by these 

 unusual conditions, repeatedly seeking the flowers, which were now 

 in full view, beneath the leaves ; but at the end of a few hours its 

 movements became more quiet, and it was possible to hold the 

 the plant in its normal position and observe the movements 

 of the bee with a hand magnifier. The front pair of feet cling to 

 the minute recurved teeth of the corolla, the middle pair grasp its 

 sides, and the length of the flower is such that the hind pair rest 

 upon the adherent sepals at the base. The fore part of the head is 

 pressed up as far as possible into the narrowed mouth of the 

 flower, and occasionally the corolla is slit nearly to the base. 

 The proboscis is inserted outside of the ring of stamens, passing 

 over the anthers, and could be readily seen through the translu- 

 cent side of the corolla, at the base of which the honey is freely 

 secreted. The tongue was extended horizontally in different direc- 

 tions for one or two millimeters. The jarring produced by the 

 bee probably serves to dislodge the pollen, for when the anthers 

 were touched with a needle it fell freely upon a glass plate. 



When the flower opens the stigma stands at the same level as 

 the anthers obstructing the central opening. It is not moist or m 

 a receptive condition. G. antipoda of New Zealand, according to 



Thomson, is likewise distinctly proterandrous. I" ol er 

 flowers the stigma stands in the mouth of the corolla and is co\ 

 ered with a viscid fluid ; at this stas;e no insect can obtain 

 honey without coming in contact with it. The filaments 



(382) 



G. M 



the 



