358 NATURAL SCIENCE [November 
The consideration of this point leads us to the conclusion that the character before 
us is one which it is impossible to look upon as having any ‘ survival-value,’ or as due to 
any form of selectional processes within the germ acting under adaptive requirements. 
An adequate secondary cause is suggested for its original production in the ancestors of 
those which now exhibit it. Perhaps someone more qualified to speak could determine 
whether or not this is one of the exceptions to Prof. Weismann’s rule, the non-in- 
heritance of acquired characters. WALTER KIpp. 
12 MonTrEierR Row, 
BLACKHEATH, S.E. 
INSECTS AND FLOWERS 
Wirxovr at this time attempting to discuss the general arguments used by Mr Bulman 
in his interesting paper in your August number, I should like to draw attention to the 
following paragraph (p. 103) :— 
‘* Again, if our native flowers are the result of the selective action of our native bees, 
and those which they have specially chosen for countless generations, how is it that 
bees take so readily to many flowers of very diiferent forms introduced into our gardens 
from abroad? For such introduced plants are in many cases freely visited by native 
bees.” 
I think we need more information about this matter. I have found, here in New 
Mexico, that garden flowers do not as a rule attract many species of native bees, unless 
they are very closely related to native flowers. A flower garden is nearly always dis- 
appointing as a hunting-ground, the bees found there being mainly certain widely dis- 
tributed types which visit very many species of native plants. In a luxuriant garden at 
Santa Fé the best collecting is on the weeds, not at all on the cultivated flowers. 
Solidago canadensis is a native plant very common in New Mexico. It is also grown in 
gardens in Europe, and a small list of common flies visiting it there is given by Hermann 
Miiller. In Las Cruces, on Aug. 30 of this year, Prof. C. H. T. Townsend was sweeping 
S. canadensis for flies. He swept at the same time a lot of hymenoptera, which he 
handed to me. I have sorted out the fossores and bees, and here is the list :— 
ANTHOPHILA 
Agapostemon melliventris, Cress. 6. Nomia nevadensis, Cress. 
7 radiatus, Say. 3. Melissodes agilis, Cress. 3 « 
Panurgqus rhodoceratus, Ckll. Perdita sphaeralceae, Ckll., one 3 .* 
Colletes americana, Cress. Epeolus lunatus, Say vel peraff. 
Halictus stultus, Cress. vel peraff. Podalirius maculifrons, Cress. 
»  ligatus, Say. 
oe Tap: 
FossoREs 
Microbembex monodonta, Say. Stizus godmani, Cam. 
Philanthus ventilabris v. frontalis, Cress. Aphilanthops laticinctus, Cress. 
ee Cerceris acanthophilus, Ckll. 
Steniolia duplicata, Prov. Myzine frontalis, Cress. M. 8S. @. 
Oxybelus quodricolor, Ckll. and Baker, 3. » hyalina, Cress. 6. 
»  sparideus, Ckll. Anacrabro boerhaaviae, Ckll. 
A abdominalis, Baker. ¢. (new to Paratiphia, sp. 
INZoMiE): Scolia, 2 spp. 
ee SD: 
Plenoculus cockerellii, Fox. 
I have on former occasions done equally good collecting from the Solidago. Who can 
show a similar list in Europe collecting from the same plant ? I doubt if it can be done, 
yet the plant belongs to a European genus, and is much less specialised for insects than 
many others. T. D. A. CocKERELL. 
MesILLo, New Mexico, U.S.A., 
Sept. 3, 1897. 
_ _* Tsuspect that this came from a Sphaeralcea growing among the Solidago, especially as there are 
i a” lot two beetles which breed on Sphaeralcea, These may, however, have strayed from their normal 
nt. : 
