SOLANACEAE 153 



tenax Z., and Syritta pipiens Z. MacLeod (Flanders), the beetle Meligethes, and 

 a butterfly (Pieris brassicae Z.), trying to suck. 



2025. S. Dulcamara L. (Sprengel, 'Entd. Geh.,' p. 129 ; Delpino, ' Ult. oss.,' 

 II, p. 295; Herm. Miiller, 'VVeit. Beob.,' Ill, pp. 20-2, ' Alpenblumen,' p. 266; 

 MacLeod, Bot. Jaarb. Dodonaea, Ghent, v, 1893, p. 339; Kirchner, 'Flora v. 

 Stuttgart,' pp. 566-7 ; Knuth, ' Bl. u. Insekt. a. d. nordfr. Ins.,' p. 109, 'Bloemenbiol. 

 Bijdragen.') — The blossoms of this species are homogamous, faintly fragrant, and 

 marked with violet veins. Hermann MuUer considers them to be deceptive flowers, 

 while Delpino refers them to the Borago type, thus placing them among the bee 

 flowers. {Cf. Vol. I, p. 19.) The anthers make up a cone, and are borne on short 

 stiff' filaments, darkly coloured externally. These project vertically from the concave 

 receptacle, which is of a blue-black colour, and shines as if it were covered with a thin 

 layer of fluid. The receptacle is encircled by capitate projections, green with white 

 margins, and placed in pairs at the bases of the corolla-lobes. They, like the 

 receptacle, look damp and are regarded by Hermann Miiller as pseudo-nectaries. 

 Observation has shown that flies actually first visit these projections and the shining 

 receptacle, testing them with their proboscis-lobes, and then go to the stigma and 

 the pollen-yielding tips of the anthers. When this procedure is repeated in several 

 flowers cross-pollination is brought about. 



Delpino's view, on the other hand, is supported by the observations of Hoffer 

 (Kosmos, Stuttgart, xvi, 1885), who regards the projections at the base of the petals 

 as actual nectaries. l\Iy own chemical examination of the flowers affords further 

 evidence in the same direction. {C/. Leucojum aestivum Z.) 



Warnstorff" describes the pollen-grains as white in colour, very small, rounded 

 or ellipsoidal, smooth, about 15 fx, long and 10-12 fL broad. 



Visitors. — Hoffer records the following, sometimes represented by 30 to 40 

 individuals visiting the same shrub simultaneously, and all to some extent skg. — 



A. Hymenoptera. (a) Apidae: i. Apis mellifica Z. 5 ; 2. Bombus agrorum 

 Z'. 5 ; 3- B. confusus Schenck 5 ; 4. B. hortorum Z. 5 ; 5- B. hypnorum Z. 5 ; 

 6. B. lapidarius Z. ; 7. B. pratorum Z. 5 ; 8. B. terrester Z. ; 9. Osmia sp. 

 (V) Vespidae: 10. Vespa sylvestris Scop. 5, casual. B. Diptera. Syrphidae: 

 II. Rhingia rostrata Z., po-dvg. ; 12. Volucella bombylans Z. C. Lepidoptera. 

 Rhopalocera: 13. Argynnis paphia Z. 



Hoffer expressly states that the humble-bees mentioned not only search for 

 pollen, but also for fluid at the base of the corolla, and that the butterflies touch 

 the green projections with their proboscis. 



The following were recorded by the observers, and for the localities stated. — 



Knuth (North Germany, after long and repeated watching), po-dvg. hover-flies 

 (Syritta pipiens Z., and Eristalis tenax Z.) and po-cltg. bees (Apis mellifica Z .5, and 

 JBombus terrester Z. g), so that the flowers actually appear to be adapted to the two 

 kinds of guest, von Fricken (Westphalia and East Prussia), the Nitidulid beetle Pria 

 dulcamarae ///. (also by Redtenbacher at Vienna) and the Curculionid beetle, Cionus 

 solani F. Herm. Mtiller (Alps), a Bombus, a Syrphus, and a Pieris. MacLeod 

 (Pyrenees), a Muscid (Bot. Jaarb. Dodonaea, Ghent, iii, 1891, p. 312). 



2026. S. nigrum L. (Sprengel, 'Entd. Geh.,' p. 129; Herm. Miiller, 

 'Fertilisation,' p. 426, ' Weit. Beob.,' Ill, p. 23; Kirchner, 'Flora v. Stuttgart,' 

 p. 567; MacLeod, Bot. Jaarb. Dodonaea, Ghent, v, 1893, p. 240; Knuth, 'Bl. u. 



