Vol. xxv] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. a 
with a short flight. In these cases there is no evidence that 
the oligotropy is the result of the short flight. On the other 
hand there are enough certain cases to establish the presump- 
tion that the short flight is a result of the oligotropy. 
Oligotropic bees are no smaller than their polytropic rela- 
tives, and the percentage of small bees is no greater than 
among the polytropes. In my neighborhood 38% of the oligo- 
tropes and 37% of the polytropes are large. 
The long-tongued oligotropes and their relatives are among 
the swiftest of bees, far surpassing Bombus in this respect. 
Lovell seems to regard small size as an indication of a weak 
flight. At any rate, he speaks of Andrena illinoensis as “a 
small bee, not likely to fly far,’ and of Halictoides novae- 
angliae: “They are small bees with a weak flight.” This re- 
quires proof. When the proportions are the same there is a 
probability that a small bee has a stronger flight than a large 
one. 
I have shown that Emphor bombiformis nests in the neigh- 
borhood of the Hibiscus on which it depends. The proximity 
of the nests and food plants is a result rather than a determin- 
ing condition of the oligotropy. 
At Carlinville the maximum of Compositae is in August and 
September. Of the nectar flowers observed by me in these 
two months seventy-two, 32%, are Compositae. There are 
fifteen species of inquiline bees flying late and forming a maxi- 
mum under that of the Compositae. They make from three to 
thirty visits and an average of fifteen. On the average they 
make visits of 6% to a flora composed of 32% of Compositae. 
They seem to fill the conditions required by Lovell’s theory: 
a short flight of 60 days average determined by the fact 
that they are inquilines of bees most of which are evidently 
oligotropes of Compositae. a rather weak flight, and probably 
come from nests conveniently located with reference to the 
Compositae. They might easily confine 30 visits, or an aver- 
age of 15, to the 72 Compositae. Only three species, with an 
average of 5 visits, confine themselves to the Compositae, 
while twelve species, with an average of 17 visits, do not. The 
exclusive ones are Ejpeolus autumnalis 7, Holonomada vincta 
