126 General Notes. [ February, 
On the Occurrence of Neomenia (Solenopus) in the British Seas. By Rev. A. M. 
Norman. (From the Annals and Magazine of Natural History for August, 1879.) 
8vo, pp. 2. 
_ On the Willemcesia Group of Crustacea. By Rev. A. M. Norman. (From the 
Annals and Magazine of Natural History for Nov., 1878.) 8vo, pp. 4. 
Norman. (From the An- 
Remarks on the Recent Eryontidz. By Rev. A. M. 
nals and Magazine of Natural History for September, 1879.) 8vo, pp. 10. ; 
:0; 
GENERAL NOTES. 
BOTANY. 
FERTILIZATION OF FLowERS BY Humming Bırps.!—For several 
insects and for nectar, and perhaps for pollen in some cases. Pollen 
grains have been found on the bill and feathers of the head of 
humming birds. These birds have been seen to frequent flowers 
of pelargoniums, fuchsias, trumpet-creepers, phloxes, verbenas, 
catmint, milkweed, tropæolums, honeysuckles, lilacs, morning- 
glories, cherry, wild balsams. I have no doubt they visit a great 
variety of other flowers which secrete honey in abundance. Mr. 
Osband visited trumpet-creepers, in flower, in bright days, and 
always saw birds. On one plant he saw eight birds at one time. 
The pollen of fuchsias is sticky or in strings. Humming birds 
are the main visitors to the flowers. The calyx tube seems too 
The student last named covered some flowers and found 
the stigmas were dusted with pollen without the aid of bees or 
birds. The ovaries also swelled as though forming seeds. 
Mr. Wm. Snyder observed the fertilization of Jmpatiens fulva. 
The anthers form a covering over the pistil. He tied”bags over 
young flower buds, also over flowers which had opened but 
before the stamens had disappeared. In both cases no good seeds 
were produced. Some he tied up and artificially crossed. The 
latter, without exception, niatured fruit. In other cases he cut 
_off all the petals of the flowers. He took down the signs. None 
of these set fruit. In other cases the nectar gland only was 
removed, with no fruit setting. 
Sometimes he saw a large number of black bees at work, : 
seemingly trying to get what exercise and nectar they could. 
They ran in and out many times, and hardly ever touched an . 
-anther or pistil. He could not see that the insects were of any 
use in fertilizing the flowers. Small wild bees behaved no better 
as far as carrying pollen was concerned. A common honey bee — : 
availed nothing in this direction. One humble bee hit pollen in 
f 1 Notes taken from papers of his young students by Prof. W. J. Beal. 
