88 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 
In gardens, the bees which remained constant to one species or 
variety were a very small minority indeed. I have seen such 
changes as :—Apple-blossom to Dandelion, Apple-blossom to Pear- 
blossom, Gooseberry to Red Currant and Black Currant, Snapdragon 
to Pentstemon, Valerian to Centawrea montana, Linn, 
The results of my observations may be summarised as follows :— 
(1) The majority of the bees watched appeared to be constant 
to one species, yet nearly all those which I was able to follow 
for any considerable time were by no means so. 
(2) Few bees appear to be able to withstand the temptations of 
a garden. 
(3) The Hive-bee appeared to be fully as inconstant as the wild 
Humble-bees. 
(4) The most remarkable examples of constancy were got in the 
case of the Willow, Lime Tree, Heather, Dog’s Mercury, and Bugle. 
(5) Changes seemed to be even more frequent where a number 
of nearly-allied plants grew together. I may say that Dog’s 
Mercury, which is usually considered anemophilous, I have found 
to be much frequented by the Hive-bee. 
Instances of inconstancy in bees might be multiplied many times, 
but I think I have cited a sufficient number of cases to illustrate 
all I wanted to say. 
It may be said that it is a matter of slight consequence whether 
the bee visits one species or twenty in the course of a journey, 
but that is a mistake, for the theory of ‘“ bee-selection” depends, 
to a great extent, on the theoretical constancy of the Apian family. 
To quote Mr. Bulman’s closing sentence ‘“‘If the bee of to-day 
passes freely in many cases from one species to another, then surely 
a priori should the bee of bygone ages have passed freely from 
variety to variety ; the results of its visits would be to obliterate 
the incipient species by crossing it with the parent stock and with 
other varieties.” 
A striking example of what such crossing would have brought 
about was shown in the case of the Tropzolum plants already 
mentioned, and a better still might have been seen this summer on 
the road between Busby and Carmunnock, at the place formerly 
referred to in this paper, plants in all stages of hybridism between 
Geum rivale, Linn., and Gewm urbanum, Linn., growing alongside 
the parent species. 
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