OV INSECTS WHEN VISITING FLOWERS. 189 



that this is the most valuable species to plants, and is also pro- 

 bably, on account of its methodic habits, enabled to get through 

 the most work. Both my observations ou this point and also 

 Mr. Bennett's lead to almost exactly the same conclusion*. It 

 would be interesting to ascertain whether the Ligurian Bee or 

 Mr. Blow's newly introduced Cyprian Bee, both of which are said 

 to be more productive than our common Hive-Bee, are equally 

 methodic — they could hardly be more so. Eight insects which I 

 watched visited altogether eight species of flowers 258 times, or 

 an average of about 32 flowers each. This species of Bee is so 

 perfectly methodic, that when I have carefully watched (as in 

 observations No. 26 and 29) a number of individuals visiting fre- 

 quently a variety of diff'erent flowers growing together, I have 

 never yet been able to see a Hive-Bee change one species of 

 flower for another ; on the contrary, as in my best observation 

 (No. 32), I have often seen flowers of another species, although 

 often of the same colour, obviously rejected. 



Table II. (Lepidoptera) shows a considerably greater degree of 

 constancy than it would have done, judging from Mr. Bennett's 

 observations, had I watched a larger number of species. In this 

 class Mr. Bennett and I have, with two exceptions, observed dif- 

 ferent species. As it is, 12 individuals which I have had under 

 observation have visited 99 flowers belonging to 15 species ; but 

 94 of these flowers belonged to 12 species. 



Table III. shows a fairly high degree of constancy or method 

 on the part of the Humble-Bees, as 46 insects, of whose move- 

 ments I have exact details, visited 1751 flowers belonging to 74 

 species ; but 1605 of these flowers belonged to 46 species, 1733 

 belonged to 65 species, 1745 belonged to 70 species, and 1750 

 belonged to 73 species. Taking all my 55 observations together, 

 it will be seen that one insect visited, whilst kept in sight, no 

 less than 5 species of flower, 3 visited 4 species, 4 visited 3 spe- 

 cies, 18 visited 2 species, whilst 29 (or rather more than half) 

 visited one species only. 



* Since the foregoing was written, however, I have observed a Hive-Bee 

 that was not perfectly methodic. Near Saffron Walden I saw one visit Ane- 

 mone nemorosa 1, Banunculus Ficaria 1, Anemone nemorosa 1, and Eammculus 

 Ficaria again once, and was then lost. The only other flower out around 

 was Primula vulgm'is. This was very early in the spring (April 6th), at which 

 time, as in the autumn, as I now have reason to believe. Bees are less systematic 

 than at other times. The season this year, at the date named, was exceedingly 

 unfavourable for Bees, and very few flowers were out. 



