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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXXVII. 



A plant of each of the above species was bent over so that the 

 blossoms were intermingled, appearing as a single cluster ; a 

 honeybee rested on .S. lanccolata, and it seemed very probable 

 that it would pass over to the flowers of 5. rugosa, but such 

 was not the case, for presently it new away to another plant of 

 the former. The behavior of these bees in their endeavors to 

 adhere to a single species was thus attended both by loss of time 

 and repeated visits to the same blossoms. On another occasion 

 the whitish or cream-colored inflorescence of Solidago bicolor 

 was observed to be very frequently visited by the males of Horn- 

 bus bifaruts, while the yellow-flowered goldenrods in the vicinity 

 were entirely neglected. By holding yellow-flowered clusters 

 directly in their way, I repeatedly induced the>e bees to leave 

 S. bicolor; but they quickly perceived that they had passed to a 

 different flower, and invariably after a few seconds or sometimes 

 instantly returned to the cream-colored species. They were prob- 

 ably influenced by the greater supply of nectar in the flowers 

 of S. bicolor. The plants, which were growing on burnt land, 

 were of unusually large size, and secreted nectar very freely as 

 I ascertained by examination on my return home. These illus- 

 trations are sufficient to show that the influence of particular 

 colors in determining the visits of insects may be easily overes- 

 timated. 



