292 



Kc7D : Chcnies nodosus at Louth, Lines. 



POLLIXATION OF THE PRIMROSE. 

 In an article entitled ' Further Observations on the Pollina- 

 tion of the Primrose and of the Cowslip' in the ' New Phytolog'ist,' 

 issued 27th July, Dr. F. E. Weiss gives the results of some 

 interesting- observations made by Miss Armitt at Rydal. It is 

 recorded that in less than half an hour more than a dozen 

 Primroses were visited by the Bee-fly {Bomhyliiis). ' Following" 

 up one insect it was seen to visit two flowers on one root, 

 both being- thrum-eyed ; then it went to another root and visited 

 two flowers, which were pin-eyed. Another Bee-fly that was at 

 work at the same time was also followed in its visits, first to 

 a short-styled and then to a long-styled plant. On a subsequent 

 day Miss Armitt was successful in detecting a Bee-fly visiting 

 ten flowers in a quarter of an hour, one flower on one root, 

 four on the next, three on another, and two on a fourth plant.' 

 These observations g'o far to confirm those previously made by 

 Dr. Weiss, and mark out Bomhyliiis as the chief agent in the 

 cross-pollination of the Primrose, and the result of the examina- 

 tion of the stigmas is clear evidence that these visits are not 

 without eff"ect. 



ARACHNIDJE. 



Chernes nodosus at Louth, Lines. — On 7th September, 

 through the kindness of Mr. J. Larder, I received a living- 

 specimen of this pseudo-scorpion which had been caught on the 

 leg of a fly in Louth — in the warehouse in which a similar 

 capture was made in September 1900, as recorded in 'The 

 Naturalist,' 1901, p. 195. I take this opportunity of referring- to 

 my request for co-operation in a study of these curious Arachnids, 

 made in a preliminary paper, ' North of England Pseudo-scorpions,' 

 published in this journal in August 1903, and of saying that 

 I shall be glad to examine and carefully return specimens which 

 our readers may have the kindness to submit for this purpose. 

 It occurs to me that microscopists who have formed general 

 collections of objects are likely to possess specimens mounted in 

 slides, and might not object to have them examined : such slides, 

 I find, are often labelled ' Chclifer canci'oidcs,' which at one time 

 was a sort of stock name for pseudo-scorpions of anv kind. 

 Figures of two of the British species and an indication of the 

 places in which these creatures are found are given in the paper 

 referred to. — H. Wallis Kew, 9, Queen's Road, Bromley, Kent, 

 13th September 1904. 



Naturalist, 



