78 THE FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS. [PART 11. 
8. RANUNCULUS LANUGINOSUS, L., is precisely similar in the 
arrangement of its flowers to the three last-named species: but 
growing in woods, where fewer flower-visiting insects occur, it is 
frequented by a smaller number of species in spite of its larger 
and more conspicuous flowers. 
Visitors : A. Diptera—(a) Empide : (1) Empis livida, L., s. ; (b) Syrphide : 
(2) species of Cheilosia, f.p., ab. ; (c) Muscide: (3) Anthomyia, f.p., very 
ab. B. Coleoptera—(a) Nitidulide : (4) Meligethes zneus, F., ab. (I could 
see distinctly with a lens how these small beetles gnawed the inner surface of 
the petals and the stamens) ; (b) Dermestide : (5) Byturus fumatus, L., fip., ab. 
C. Hymenoptera—(a) Tenthredinide: (6) Cephus pallipes, K1., very ab., fp. 
and s., along with other species; (b) Apide: (7) Andrena eimsfecbaaae F. oO 
cp. 3; (8) Chhelomtond florisomne, L. ¢,s. ; (9) Osmia fusca, Christ. 9, c.p., and 
at the same turning round in the flower and emptying all the nectaries ; (10) 
Bombus terrestris, L. 2, s. See also No. 590, 1, p. 51. 
9. RANUNCULUS FicartA, L., also resembles 2. acris, 2. repens, 
and &. bulbosus, but it blooms earlier when fewer flower-visiting 
insects are abroad, a disadvantage which is perhaps partly 
compensated for, by the insects having at that time fewer kinds of 
flowers to choose from. At the beginning of the flowering period, 
we find as in R. auricomus, many flowers with very few petals, 
sometimes so few as two or three: later on the number increases 
to eight or even eleven, and they expand in the sunshine to a golden 
star 20 to 25 mm, in diameter. 
Visitors: A. Diptera—(a) Syrphide ;: (1) Brachypalpus valgus, Pz., fp. ;. 
(b) Muscide: (2) Sepsis, ab.; (3) Anthomyia radicum, L., very ab. ; (4) 
Scatophaga merdaria, F. B. Hymenoptera—Apide: (5) Apis mellifica, L., 
S,s. and fp. ab.; (6) Andrena Gwynana, K. 9, ¢.p.; (7) A. albicans, K.. 
? d, cp. ands.; (8) A. parvula, K. ?,s.; (9) Halictus cylindricus, F. 9, s. ; 
(10) H. albipes, F. 9, 8.; (11) H. lucidus, Schenck, ?,s.; (12) H. nitidius- 
culus, K. 9,8. ©. Coleoptera—(13) Meligethes, ab., s., fp., and gnawing the 
petals, D, Thysanoptera—(14) Thrips, very ab. Seealso No. 590, 1., pp. 51, 52. 
10. RANUNCULUS AURICOMUS, L.—The flowers of this species 
exhibit in their petals a great variety of forms of nectary, which 
are very remarkable and help us to explain the various nectaries 
of different Ranunculacez. 
The corolla is seldom regular, but as a rule, some or even all 
of the petals are more or less stunted or even absent, and the 
sepals, with their bright yellow limb, take the place of petals 
partly or completely. The honey-glands at the base of the petals 
are subject to the following modifications, In the most perfect 
petals (1 and 2, Fig. 26) the inner side of the triangular claw has 
| 
