RANUNCULACEAE 



Kiel, freq. ; H. M., Thuringia) ; 4. B. hortorum L. 5 (Kn.), as the last. H. M. also 

 observed in Thuringia : 5. Andrena gwynana K. S skg. ; 6. Halictus cylindricus, F. 5, 

 po-cltg., freq.; 7. H. morio i^. 5, po-cltg. {b) Formicidae {zA ntc\.ZT-X\i\t\ti); 8. Lasius 

 aiienus Foerst. §; 9. Leptothorax interruptus Schenck 5 ; 10. Myrmica levinodis Nyl. 5 ; 

 II. M. ruginodis Nyl. 5; 12. M. scabrinodis Nyl. J; 13. Tapinoma erraticum Latr. 5. 

 B. Coleoptera. {a) Nilidulidae -. 14. Meligethes, nect-lkg. {b) Meloidae : 15. 

 Larvae of Meloe. C. Hemiptera. 16. Aphanus vulgaris .Sf A///. D. Thysano- 

 ptera. 17. Thrips, very freq. 



Schenk observed in Nassau, Osmia rufa L. 5. 



16. P. pratensis Miller. (Sprengel, ' Entd. Geh.,' p. 289 ; Francke, ' Einige 

 Beitr. zur Kennt. d. Bestaubungseinricht. d. Pfl.' ; Loevv, ' Bliitenbiol. Floristik,' 

 p. 390 ; Schulz, ' Beitrage,' I, p. 3 ; Knuth, ' Bloemenbiol. Bijdragen.') — The dark- 

 violet sepals of the large pendulous flowers are arranged in the form of a bell, 

 so that they constitute a roof by which the stamens and carpels are protected from 

 rain. The flower mechanism agrees with that of the preceding species. Protogyny 

 excludes autogamy. Warnstorf( Verb, 

 bot. Ver., Berlin, xxxviii, 1896) 

 describes the flowers found in the 

 neighbourhood of Ruppin as first 

 protogynous and subsequently ho- 

 mogamous. Pollen of a shining 

 white; the grains are about 37 /i in 

 diameter. 



Visitors. — Loew (L.) and my- 

 self (Kn.) have so far only observed 

 bees as pollinators. On alighting, 

 these first touch the stigmas — which 

 project beyond the stamens— and 

 then holding on to the crowded 

 stamens, collect pollen or suck 

 nectar. — Hymenoptera. Apidae: 

 I. Apis mellifica L. 5, and 2. Bom- 

 bus hortorum Z. $ (Kn., Kiel), skg. j,.,,, ^^ />«&<.«/« z<,r«a/M, Z.. (after He™. MUller). A.K 

 and po-cltg. J 3. Osmia bicolor few of the external stamens modified to form nectaries («), and 



Brandenburg meadow), 



behind them a few fully developed stamens {a). 

 style with stigma {st) ; highly magnified. 



B. Apex of 



Schr. $ (L., 

 po-cltg. 



17. p. vernalis Miller. (Beyer, ' D. spont. Bew egungen d. Staubgefasse u. 

 Stempel'; Kerner, ' Nat. Hist. PI.,' Eng. Ed. i, II ; Herm. Miiller, ' Alpenblumen,' 

 pp. 125-7; Ricca, ' Oss. sulla fecondaz. incroc. d. veget. alp. e subalp.'; Schulz, 

 ' Beitrage,' 11, pp. .2-4.) — The sepals — which spread out in the sunshine — are white 

 on the inner side, bright violet to rose-red externally. They serve to attract insects. 

 The flower mechanism deviates in some points from that of the two preceding 

 species : protogyny is usually much less marked, and there may even be almost homo- 

 gamous flowers. Further, according to Beyer, dehiscence of the anthers progresses 

 outwards and inwards from a central zone. Schulz observed flowers which were 

 quite nectarless. Lastly, Kerner noted, in addition to cross-pollinated hermaphrodite 

 flowers with short stamens, others with long stamens, in which self-pollination auto- 

 matically took place on the closing of the flower. Plants that Lindman observed 



