20 BEHAVIOUR OF INSECTS TO FLOWERS, [chap. 



exist between flowers and insects, by the hypothesis 

 of a nnere blind instinct on the part of the latter. 



Thus Sarcophaga carnaria visits Polygonum Bistorta 

 in search of honey, although that flower does not 

 contain any. Genista tinctoria again, though not mel- 

 liferous, is visited by the males of several species of 

 bees in search of honey. The same is the case with 

 Ononis. H. Miiller records a case in which he watched 

 a female Humble-bee {B. terrestris) examining an 

 Aquilegia; she made several vain attempts to suck the 

 honey, but after awhile, having apparently satisfied 

 herself that she was unable to do so, bit a hole 

 through the corolla. Having thus secured the honey, 

 she visited several other flowers, biting holes through 

 them, without making any attempt to suck them first ; 

 conscious apparently that she was unable to do so 

 He also observed a similar instance in relation to 

 Primula elatior. In Vicia cracca and some other 

 species, Bombus terrestris habitually obtains access to 

 the honey by biting a hole at the base of the flower ; 

 and these holes are then subsequently used by other 

 bees. Indeed anyone who has watched bees in green- 

 houses will see that they are neither confined by 

 original instinct to special flowers, nor do they visit 

 all flowers indifferently. 



It would also appear that individual bees differ 

 somewhat in their mode of treating flowers. Some 

 Humble-bees suck the honey of the French bean and 

 Scarlet runner in the legitimate manner, while others 

 cut a hole in the tube and thus reach it, so to say, 

 surreptitiously ; and Dr. Ogle has observed that the 

 same bee always proceeded in the same manner, 



