692 Recent Literature. [ November, 
to try anxiously to find access to the honey of several flowers, 
but in every case it tried to enter at the side of the wings, and 
always failed. One large butterfly was seen to insert its proboscis 
at the side of the wings, and as it remained quietly standing for 
some time it probably obtained nectar. Several small butterflies 
alighted on the vexillum and ran their proboscides down the 
guiding groove, but necessarily failed to fertilize the flowers as 
they exerted no pressure on the keel. Many humble bees were 
seen to enter the flowers. Catching their anterior tarsi on the 
sides of the standard, they pulled themselves between this and 
the keel by sheer force, and then relaxing their hold, they pro- 
truded their tongues and feasted upon the nectar. In every case 
they caused the stigma and anthers to be exserted, and these 
always came in contact with their backs. Where flowers had 
been visited many times by these bees the sides of the vexillum, 
and especially near its base, were greatly scratched, and in some 
cases cut through by their sharp tarsal claws. When the bee 
left the flower the keel invariably returned to its former position 
so as to enclose the organs of fertilization. Hive bees were also 
seen to visit flowers of this species several times, and they acted 
precisely as the humble bees did, and with a similar result. 
Quite a number of flowers were seen with large perforations 
(Fig. vit) through both wing and keel, just back of the position 
commonly occupied by the anthers and stigma. As these 
did not allow access to the nectar, but did expose the pollen, 
I am inclined to think that they were made by some pollen 
collecting insect—probably humble bees—though I was unable 
to see the openings made or used by any insect. In Alabama, 
where these observations were made, the flowers of this plant are 
largely fertile, but it was not determined whether they are self- 
fertile or not. 
——,0:—_— 
0: 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
CLARK'S ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE LUCERNARIÆ — 
American zoological science has, from the beginning, been espe- 
cially lacking in histological investigations. The lamented author 
of the beautiful memoir before us, did far more than any one 
_ lLucernarie and their Allies. A memoir on the anatomy and physiology 1 
Salicipstus oe and other Lucernarians, with a discussion of mer rela on 
| o Beroids and Polypi. By HENRY JAMES CLAR 
- Smithsonian Contributions to Poa Washington, September, T88. si pp- 
M) II I plat 
