■by self fertilization." 



Muller states that : "although hive tees are hj'' far 

 the most numerous visitors of this flower, I have never 

 seen them effect explosion; "but I have often ohserved them. 

 Though I have frequently watched this plant I have never 

 succeeded in seeing explosion actually performed though 

 the numher of exploded flowers that we meet with shows 

 that it must take place very frequently. Butterflies 

 visit the flowers in great numhers and it is douhtless hy 

 them that explosion and cross fertilization are effected; 

 "but they are generally too wild to permit close observation 

 of their movements." 



Medicago Plowers Tripping Historical Resume' 



(Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 

 1894 p. 142, I.H. Burkhill) 



At the meeting of the society named above on Peb. 12, 

 1894, Burkhill read a report of his quite extensive study. 

 The subject of his paper was ; On the Fertilization of 

 Some Species of Medicago in England. 



He first gave a historical resume' of the work that 

 had already been done by different investigators and in- 

 cluded a bibliographical reference to the published results 

 of their work. 



Burkhill gives a detailed description of the alfalfa 

 flower and its explosive mechanism. He states; "the ex- 

 plosive action of the flower depends upon the uppermost 



(65) 



