430 HABITS OF INSECTS. Chap. XI. 



flowers of Salvia glutinosa had been bitten. In the 

 United States Mr. Bailey says it is difficult to find a 

 blossom of the native Gerarclia pedicularia without a 

 hole in it ; and Mr. Gentry, in speaking of the intro- 

 duced Wistaria sinensis, says " that nearly every flower 

 had been perforated." * 



As far as I have seen, it is always humble-bees which 

 first bite the holes, and they are well fitted for the work 

 by possessing powerful mandibles ; but hive-bees after- 

 wards profit by the holes thus made. Dr. H. Muller, 

 however, writes to me that hive-bees sometimes bite 

 holes through the flowers of Erica tetralix. No insects 

 except bees, with the single exception of wasps in the 

 case of Tritoma, have sense enough, as far as I have 

 observed, to profit by the holes already made. Even 

 humble-bees do not always discover that it would be 

 advantageous to them to perforate certain flowers. 

 There is an abundant supply of nectar in the nectary 

 of Tropasolum tricolor, yet I have found this plant 

 untouched in more than one garden, while the flowers 

 of other plants had been extensively perforated ; but 

 a few years ago Sir J. Lubbock's gardener assured 

 me that he had seen humble-bees boring through 

 the nectary of this Tropseolurn. In the United States 

 the common garden Tropasolum, as I hear from Mr. 

 Bailey, is often pierced. Miiller has observed humble- 

 bees trying to suck at the mouths of the flowers 

 of Primula elatior and of an Aquilegia, and, failing 

 in their attempts, they made holes through the 

 corolla ; but they often bite holes, although they could 

 with very little more trouble obtain the nectar in a 

 legitimate manner by the mouth of the corolla. 



Dr. W. Ogle has communicated to me a curious case. 



* Dr. Ogle, 'Pop. Science Re- American Nat.,' Nov 1873. p. 690. 

 view,' July 1889, p. 267. Bailey, Gentry, ibid. May 1875, p. 264. 



