FERTILISATION OF RED CLOVER. 501 
both of which, although possessing blossoms fully as conspi- 
cuous as those of the 7rzfoliwm, are admitted to be absolutely 
self-fertilisingin New Zealand, andprobablyin England also. The 
third variety is frequently termed the American variety, and as 
before stated is dwarfer than the common or English one, and 
has much paler flowers, which are also much shorter than in 
other kinds. To this variety I have given considerable atten- 
tion, and I have come to the conclusion that it is most generally 
self-fertilising. Furthermore, I feel perfectly certain that plants 
the produce of those which have been grown in the Colony for 
several generations are almost invariably self-fertilising. During 
the past two or three years years I have examined numerous 
flowers just before the expansion of the corolla, and have very 
frequently found that the pistil had already received the pollen 
of its own flower, and may be safely assumed to have been pro- 
perly impregnated, as there is no reason whatever to doubt the 
potency of the pollen ; the supposed self-sterility of the 7rzfolium 
arising from structural, and not from physiological inability to 
fertilise. From the above statements I think we may fairly 
assume that the varieties of red clover found in New Zealand 
exhibit an ascending degree of self-fertility. Thus in the cow- 
clover, a luxuriant variety, we have strongly developed self- 
sterility ; in the common English variety there is a tendency to 
become self-fertile, which tendency increases with naturalisation ; 
and the third, or so-called American variety, is usually, if not 
always self-fertile. This change from self-sterility to partial or 
perfect self-fertility—which may, I think, be viewed in the light 
of a degradation—is accompanied bya shortening of the corolla, 
and a changing of the colour from a fine red to a washy rose, 
and even to pure white in a few instances. Owing to the season 
of the year at which these notes are written, I am unfortunately 
unable to exhibit specimens showing the proportionate size of 
the corolla in different varieties. The question now arises, do 
the forms of red clover present different phenomena (as to their 
fertilisation) in New Zealand, to those seen in other countries? 
Iam inclined to think that this question may be answered in 
the affirmative. Thus, in “Cross and Self-Fertilisation,’ page 
361, Mr Darwin, writing of red clover, observes :—“ One hundred 
flower heads on plants protected by a net did not produce a 
single seed.” And in the “Origin of Species,” first edition, page 
73, he remarks :—“ From experiments I have lately tried, I have 
found that the visits of bees are necessary for the fertilisation of 
some kinds of clover—but humble bees alone visit the red clover 
(Trifolium pratense),as other bees cannot reach the nectar.” 
Here we have such a careful observer as the greatest naturalist 
of our times making two distinct statements: First, that the red 
clover does not fertilise itself in England ; and second, that the 
particular insect known as the humble bee is required to fertilise 
it. I cannot entertain a doubt, therefore, but that the red clover 
in England is self-sterile, and that it is not visited by the hive 
bee for the purpose of collecting nectar. But in our Colony the 
