Vol. VI, No. 3.] The Pollination of Flowers in India. 



103 



[N.S.] 



It is the habit of the Megachile to fly into the flowers and 

 at first to seek for honey at the base, — whether generally found 

 or not, I was unable to ascertain : that done the insect turns 

 round and with its head towards the light sits on the anthers 

 and eats pollen. When caught its hairy body is always abund- 

 antly dusted with pollen : and it certainly carries it from one 

 flower to another, and probably produces the occasional cross 

 which seems to be the rule with so many plants. 



Over the period during which the cotton was under obser- 

 vation, a few butterflies were observed on the flowers. Catojh 

 silia crocale, Cramer, was seen at Wasali, and again to the south 

 of Jalgaon on G. neglectum, var. rosea, generally going to the 

 extra-floral nectaries but sometimes to the intra-floral nectaries. 

 Its constancy to the white flowers was marked. 



Papilio polytes, Linn., was seen on two days near Jalgaon 

 going both to extra- and intra-floral nectaries of G. neglectum, 

 var. vera, and G. neglectum, var. rosea. 



A Terias visited flowers of G. neglectum, var. vera, between 

 Jamod and Jalgaon. Commoner still than any of these was 

 Pamara colaca, Moore. Seven individuals were seen going to the 

 intra-floral nectaries of G. neglectum, var. vera, between Pingli 

 and Wasali on September 23rd, eleven between Jamod and 

 Jalgaon on September 25th, one on September 26th on the 

 south of Jalgaon, and another at Nandura — making a total of 

 20. Further, on September 25th, between Jamod and Jalgaon, 

 one went to the extra-floral nectaries of G. neglectum, var. 

 vera, and six to the intra-floral nectaries of G. hirsutum. 



Thus there were seen: — 





1 To 



G. neglectum 

 var. vera. 



1 To 



G. neglectum 



var. rosea. 



To 



G. hirsutum. 



• 



Megachile 



albifrons. 



23 individuals 

 entering the 



1 individual in 

 flowers. 



Catopsilia crocale. 



flowers. 



5 individuals 

 generally at 

 extrafloral 

 nectaries. 





Papilio polytes. 



1 individual. 



1 individual. ] 





Terias sp. 



1 individual 









entering flower. 







Pamara colaca. j 



20 individuals, 



all but one 

 entering the 

 flowers : that 





6 individuals 

 entering a 

 flower. 





one at extra- 









floral necta - 









ries. 







