62 CORYDALIS. [CHAP. 



reach the honey, but not lap it conveniently. She 

 however, is in the habit of biting a hole through the 

 tube, by which means she obtains access to the honey, 

 and in some plants the greater number of flowers 

 will be found to have been treated in this manner. 

 Several other bees, for instance^ the hive bee, Andrena 

 alb leans, K. ; A. nitida, Fourc. ; Sphecodes gib bus, L. ; 

 and Nomada fabricana, L., have been observed by 

 Miiller to make use of the entrance thus prepared for 

 them. Moreover, though the hive bees are unable to 

 suck the flowers in their natural condition, the flowers 

 are visited by them for the sake of their pollen. 



The upper petal is produced into a long spur. 

 The two middle petals form a sort -of sheath, sur- 

 rounding the stamens and pistil ; at about a third 

 of their length from the base is a peculiar fold of 

 the edge, which acts as a sort of hinge, so that the 

 terminal part, which forms a sort of sheath or cap to 

 the anthers and stigma, is somewhat moveable. The 

 stamens are united into an upper and lower group. 

 The upper basal edge of the upper group is produced 

 into a long spur, which lies in the spur of the upper 

 petal, and the tip of which secretes honey. When a 

 bee visits the flower, she depresses the anther cap, and 

 the anthers and pistil thus exposed rub against her 

 breast. When the pressure is removed the cap 

 resumes its place and again protects the anthers and 

 pistil. Our common English Fumaria officinalis is 

 formed on the same plan as Corydahs cava, the spur, 

 however, being quite short. It appears, moreover, to 

 be self-fertile, and in spite of its complex organisation 

 seems to be but rarely visited, at least by day. 



