690 BOTANY. 
their legs dusted with pollen. On one occasion I saw a small 
metallic green and iridescent bee among the flowers, but could not 
observe whether he entered them. The sweet odor of the flower 
is very heavy and oppressive. 
Why should these insects perforate the corolla when the flower 
is apparently so easy of access in the usual way? Examination 
of the structure does not throw much light upon the matter. The 
corolla is bell-shaped and of funnel form. ‘There are four stamens, 
two long and two short, the filaments clothed with hairs, which 
are probably bathed with nectar, as the perforation is made just 
above them. The anthers are two-celled, approaching by pairs, 
and each cell has a sharp cusp at the bottom, pointing inwards. 
The style is long, and the stigma is bent over the longer stamens. 
I find, upon inserting a pencil into the mouth of the flower, that, 
upon retracting it, it is brought in contact with the cusps above 
referred to, which causes the anther cells to expand and discharge 
the pollen copiously. An insect acting in the same way would 
have its back dusted, and when visiting another flower, would nec- 
essarily rub off a portion of the burden upon the stigma. I thought 
the sharp cusps might tickle or prick any intruder and thus com- 
pel him to retreat. Dr. Gray, however, does not consider these 
projections sharp enough to annoy the bee, and moreover considers 
it improbable that the flower would be provided with a contrivance 
so manifestly to its disadvantage. There are “guiding lines” of 
orange dots leading towards the nectariferous hairs. 
I have seen bees approach the front for a moment and then re- 
tire as if baffled. Most of them, however, begin operations at 
the back at once. They alight with the tail towards the open end 
of the flower and at once insert the head into the little hole. I 
have never seen them make the aperture, although it is difficult to 
find a blossom without one. Even the buds are often penetrated ; 
out of a large number of flowers plucked at random from different 
plants in different localities, I cannot find one flower without the 
slit. I have got others to observe for me with the same result. 
It is a constant pleasure to watch the curious action of these 
bees . W. Battery. 
Tue Connecricur Varer Boranrcat Socrety held its first 
annual meeting at Amherst, Mass., Oct. 1. This new Society was 
organized in June last, mainly through the efforts of Mrs. Maria 
