RANUNCULACEAE 



35 



In Dumfriesshire (Scott-Elliot, 'Flora of Dumfriesshire,' p. 6) there were 

 observed Apis, one humble-bee, hover-flies, Muscidae, and one of the micro- 

 Lepidoptera. 



Burkill (' Fertilisation of Spring Flowers ') noticed the following on the coast 

 of Yorkshire. 



A. Coleoptera. Nitidulidae : i. Meligethes picipes Sturm, one instance, skg. 

 B. Diptera. (a) Muscidae: 2. Scatophaga stercoraria Z., skg. with difficulty. 

 (6) Syrphidae : 3. Syrphus sp., one instance, po-dvg. C. Hemiptera. 4. Deraeo- 

 coris sp. D. Hymenoptera. Apidae : 5. Apis mellifica Z., one instance, po-cltg. 



13. Trollius L. 



Flowers mostly homogamous with concealed nectar. The large bright yellow 

 sepals are folded together into a sphere, and serve as the means of attraction. They 

 enclose the small linear petals, each of which possesses an uncovered nectar-pit 

 at its base. 



76. T. europaeus L. (Herm. Muller, ' Alpenblumen,' pp. 136-7; Ricca, 

 'Oss. sulla fecondaz. incroc. d. veget. alp. e subalp.'; Beyer, 'D. spont. Bewegungen 



Fig. II. Trollius europaeus, L. (after Herm. Muller). A. Flower seen from without, somewhat 

 reduced. B. Petal with nectary (n) seen from within. C. Stamen, before the dehiscence of the anther, 

 seen from within. D. The same, seen from the side. E. An anther with loculi almost empty. F. The 

 same, seen from the side. B-F x 4. 



d. Staubgefasse u. Stempel'; Kerner, 'Nat. Hist. PI.', Eng. Ed. 1, II; Kirchner, 

 'Flora v. Stuttgart,' p. 270; Schulz, 'Beitrage,' II, p. 8; Knuth, 'Bliitenbiol. 

 Herbstbeob.') The flowers have a slight odour (seeming to Kerner like that of 

 Auricula), and in dull weather are almost completely closed, though in sunshine 

 the sepals are not so close together. The numerous stamens have curved inwards 

 before the pollen is shed, and as the anthers dehisce centripetally, they elongate 

 to some extent. Insects penetrating from above, to reach the pollen or nectar, 

 first alight on the stigmas in the middle of the flower, and effect cross-pollination 

 with tolerable constancy. Should there be no insect visitors, automatic self-pollina- 

 tion is inevitable, as the outer stamens project above the stigmas. It is, however, 

 questionable if this is effective. 



Visitors. I have observed one of the Muscidae (Anthomyia sp.) covered with 

 pollen, and also Forficula auricularia Z., devouring the anthers. Hermann Muller 



D 2 



