90 FIELD AND FOREST. 



Selective Discrimination of Insects. 



The remarks of Sir John Lubbock in a late lecture on the relation 

 of insects and flowers leads to the inference that in his opinion the 

 brilliancy of colour rather than the odour is the attraction. My ob- 

 servations lead me to suppose that it is not the colour, but the partic- 

 ular odour of each variety or species of flower which induces the visit. 

 With great interest, not unmixed with curiosity, I have observed (my 

 attention was at first casually excited) that bees particularly, and also 

 butterflies, visit a distinct variety and for the time confine their attention 

 to it, settling on and sucking the honey of that variety only; e. g., a bee 

 settling on a scarlet geranium will not go from it to another species or 

 variety, but gives its attention to the particular variety only, irrespec- 

 tive of colour, whether scarlet, pink, or white, never going from a 

 scarlet geranium to another scarlet flower, even if in contact. What- 

 ever the species of flower, it is the same — pelargoniums, petunias, heli- 

 otropes, lilies, &c. The visit is from pelargonium to pelargonium, 

 not from pelargonium to geranium (both cranes bills), and from lily 

 to lily, irrespective of colour. I never remarked a bee go from a lily 

 to an amaryllis, or the reverse. The object of this distinctive selec- 

 tion appears to be fertilisation. The indiscriminate admixture of the 

 pollens of distinct varieties would probably frustrate the ends of nature 

 and lead to monstrosities or barrenness. What would be the effect of 

 the admixture on its own stores is a distinct question. So far as the 

 insect is concerned, doubtless the fact has relation to its own economy. 

 Whatever be the reason, there appears to be the harmonious adjust- 

 ment of two facts under the relations of one law. If the colour, and 

 not the odour, was the attraction, the visits would be indiscriminately 

 made to all flowers of a brilliant hue. The observation of the lecturer 

 as to flies being attracted by stinking plants or carrion seems to prove 

 the fact suggested. Flies settle indiscriminately on all putrefactions, 

 and will go immediately from a flower to offal or from offal to a flower. 

 With bees and butterflies there is certainly a discriminative selection 

 guided by odour ; I have also remarked that some flowers are rarely, 

 if ever, visited by bees. 



I have never, in the books I have read, met with this observation, 

 and when so acute and distinguished an observer as Sir John Lubbock 

 passes over the circumstance, I presume either the fact has not been 



