258 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XII, 



Grewia asiatica, Linn., 1 was seen to be visited by Xylocopa 



at Saharanpur (26-V-06). 



Malvaceae. 



m 



Although the devices for securing pollination which can be 

 found in the Malvaceae vary with the size of the flower in 

 suitability to a great variety of visitors, there is considerable 

 similarity in their flowers : and I find it convenient to put 

 together here in one place all the notes that I wish to make. 

 From Hibiscus lasiopetalus which is a true bird-flower though 

 Althaea rosea and cotton which, as given above, obtain bird- 

 visits, there is a gradual diminution in the 3ize of the flower 

 and of the suitable insects, which somehow has left but little 

 mark on the shape of the parts of the flowers. 



Note No. 4 of this series was on the pollination of cotton 

 detailing observations made in Behar and a part of Note No. 7 

 dealt with observations on cotton in Berar. I was anxious 

 when writing those two notes to prevent a deduction being 

 made from Professor Gammie's observations at Poona to the 

 effect that cotton is widely self-pollinated. Since then the 



-/ 



Memoirs 



that they have proved cross-fertilisation to occur at least 

 sometimes at Pusa. To the visitors already recorded Papilio 

 polytes may be added (Nandurbar, Tapti valley, 29-ix-09). 



The yellow flowers of Gossypium intermedium, Tod., and 

 G. neglectum, Tod., open about 7 to 8-30 a.m. and may persist 

 to the next morning : but those of the races of the same 

 two species of Gossypium which have white flowers go through 

 the processes of expanding and withering about two hours later. 



Sida ccrdifolia, Linn., opens its flowers about 8 a.m. 

 (Cuttack, 22 to 24-viii-06; Damdim, Duars, 22-viii-02); and 

 they close at noon, when the styles have bent so as to have 

 brought the stigmas among the anthers. Sida acuta, Burm., 

 opens its flowers at about 8 a.m., the anthers dehiscing 

 afterwards, and later in the morning self-pollination becomes 

 not improbable (Calcutta, 15 to 19-ix-01). Sida rhombifolia, 

 Linn., opens its flowers between 9 and 10 a.m. (Akrani plateau 

 2 to lO-x-09) or later up to noon (Nandurbar, 29-ix-09). Sida 

 spinosa, Linn., opens an hoar after the last on the Akrani 

 plateau. 



Hibiscus vitifolius, Linn., opens its flowers soon after 

 dawn. Later in the day the stigmas are brought into contact 

 with the anthers by the recurving of the styles (Calcutta, 

 — .01; Bardwan, 20-ix-07). Hibfscus cannabinus, Linn., 



-■ ■— — !■ ■ ■ ^ — - — 



1 I am indebted to Mr. R. S. Hole for naming this, my field number 

 27223. He adds that it is the form of the species, sensu ampliore, 

 which is common in the plains of Northern India. 



