RT 11. | THE MECHANISMS OF FLOWERS. 147 
f various orders, by the number and strong scent of its flowers 
and the accessible position of their honey, 
y 
_ A. Hymenoptera—(a) Apidae: (1) Apis mellifica, L. $,s. (limes when in 
ower are the resort of thousands of bees in fine weather,—I found none with 
allen in their baskets, but all seemed to come for honey); (2) Bombus 
srorum, I, 2, ab., s.; (3) Prosopis, ab. ; (b) Sphegidw: (4) Oxybelus 
niglumis, L., ab., licking honey. B. Diptera—(a) Syrphide: (5) Eristalis 
smorum, L.; (6) E. arbustorum, L.; (7) E. sepulcralis, L.; (8) E. tenax, 
.; (9) Helophilus floreus, L., all very ab., now s. now f.p.; (10) Volucella 
ellucens, L. ; (b) Muscidw: (11) Sareophaga carnaria, L., s.; (12) Lucilia 
icina, F,; (13) Musca domestica, L., s.; (¢) Zalanide: (14) Tabanus 
ovinus, L., s. 
Orv. LINE. 
_ 74. Linum catruarticum, L.—The five filaments are adherent 
yy their expanded bases to a fleshy ring in the base of the flower, 
rhich secretes five honey-drops from as many flat inconspicuous 
glands on its outer side, opposite to the stamens: these honey- 
drops enlarge till they reach the underlying sepals. To this fleshy 
ring the petals are attached, a little above the honey-glands, and 
a ternating with the stamens. The lower halves of the petals 
ire in contact with one another, but narrowing suddenly at the 
se they leave a round opening between each pair, immediately 
bove the honey-gland. 
The five anthers become mature at the same time as the 
‘stigmas, and stand on a level with them. They cover themselves 
all round with pollen, but for a short time after the opening 
of the flower they stand at some distance from the stigmas, so 
hat self-fertilisation cannot take place. An insect coming from 
nother flower and plunging its proboscis into the middle between 
ae and anthers wiil effect cross-fertilisation, but if it inserts 
8 proboscis into the flower outside the anthers these will be 
ressed against the stigmas and self-fertilisation will result. 
If insect-visits do not occur, self-fertilisation takes place by 
he bending inwards of the stamens. It seems to be efficient ; 
or every one of the small, white, solitary flowers, which close 
in the evening and receive very few insect-visits, produces a 
capsule full of good seeds. 
In spite of the great abundance of the plant, I have only 
' Once seen two insects at work upon its flowers; viz. :— 
- (1) Systeechus sulphureus, Mik. eee) (2) Hepes livida, L., s. 
# Thur.). 
Ea 
