PART III. | THE MECHANISMS OF FLOWERS. 415 
proboscis, Since the proboscis may be inserted on any side of the 
stigma, the part of the proboscis dusted with pollen in one flower 
will very probably come in contact with the stigma in the next. 
Since flies often dip their proboscis repeatedly into one flower, self- 
fertilisation also must frequently result. In absence of insects, 
self-fertilisation always occurs by pollen falling directly upon the 
stigma. In plants which I kept in my room, guarded from insects, 
I always found the stigma in the older flowers thickly covered with 
pollen. Axell found on experiment that the plant is completely 
fertile when self-fertilised (17). 
Delpino describes Myosotis as dichogamous and exclusively 
fertilised by bees. 
M. silvatica in my garden is visited by the following insects :— 
A. Hymenoptera—Apide@ ; (1) Andrena albicans, K. 9, s. B. Diptera— 
(a) Syrphide : (2) Eristalis arbustorum, L., ab. ; (3) E. sepulcralis, L., ab. ; 
(4) Syritta pipiens, L., very ab. ; (5) Rhingia rostrata, L. ; (6) Muscide : (6) 
Scatophaga merdaria, F. ; (7) Species of Echinomyia ; (8) Onesia floralis, R. D. ; 
(9) O. sepulcralis, Mgn. ; (10) Pollenia vespillo, F. ; (11) Musca corvina, F. ; 
(12) Colobata cothurnata, Pz. ; all acting in the manner described above. A 
list of nineteen additional visitors is given in No. 590, 111. 
Myposotis alpestris, Schmidt.—I have observed this plant visited 
on the Alps by thirty-three Lepidoptera, nineteen Diptera, and 
one bee—a strikingly different list from the preceding one (609). 
306. Myosoris INTERMEDIA, Link. ap. Schl.—The flowers of 
this plant differ from those of 1. silvatica in their smaller size, and 
Fic. 139.—Myosotis intermedia, Link. 
1.—Longitudinal section (x 7). 
2.—Anther viewed from the side to show the broad prolongation of the connective. 
in two points which make cross-fertilisation still more sure : (1) The 
_ stigma stands on a level with the anthers, so that an insect’s 
| proboscis is more certain than in M. silvatica to touch anthers and 
_ stigma with opposite sides, unless it be repeatedly inserted as is not 
