142 BULLETIN OF WISCONSIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. VOL. 1. NO. 3. 
in search of nectar, which is usually secreted in abundance. A 
wasp-flower is therefore simply a bee-flower, which owing to cer- 
tain peculiarities in form and structure, favors the visits of wasps 
to some extent. Taken in this sense, the term 'Svasp-flower" 
undoubtedly has a right to stand. 
The genus Symphoricarpos has 2 representatives in this part 
of the country : vS. racemosiis, Michx., and 5. occidentalis, 
Hook., which differ somewhat from each other, as regards the 
structure of the flowers. 
Symphoricarpos racemosus, Michx. Snowberr y« 
(See Frontispiece. Fig. 1) 
This is a rather common plant around Milwaukee, forming 
in many places small patches, and blooming from June 6. to July 
25. The reddish, bell shaped flowers are collected in clusters at 
the ends of the branches, and are more or less pendulous. As 
the stamens are inclined towards the middle of the corolla tul)e, 
the introrsely opening anthers form a small circle a short distance 
above the stigma. Honey is secreted in the lower portion of the 
tube, and is protected by patches of hairs, arising from the inner 
surface of the tube, and filling out the entrance to the flower. 
This species presents a case of homogamy, the stigma being 
receptive at the same tim^ the anthers shed their pollen. From 
the situation of the anthers in advance of the stigma it is evident 
that pollen can not fall on the stigma and effect spontaneous 
self-fertilization, unless the flowers be erect, which usually is not 
the case. Besides, there is hardly ever a necessity for the flowers 
to resort to spontaneous self-fertilization, as they are abundantly 
visited by insects. Proceeding from flower to flower with grains 
of pollen attached to the lower parts of their heads, the visitors 
are liable to insure cross-fertilization, but they may also carry 
pollen from the anthers to the stigma of the same flower. 
Symphoricarpos racemosus is a native of this country. The 
flowers of this species from plants growing in our neighborhood 
are decidedly smaller than those observed by H. Mueller in Ger- 
many, on cultivated specimens. This author gives a length of 
7 to 8 mm., and a width of 5 mm. for the flowers, while those 
from our locality attain a length not exceding 6 mm., and a width 
of not more than 4 mm. Observations of the visits of insects 
to these flowers have been recorded from different parts of 
Europe, but none from this country. Robertson (4) has published 
an account of the fertilization of Symphoricarpos symphoricarpos 
(4) C. Robertson. Flowers and Insects. Trans. Acad. Sc. St. Louis, Vol. VII, No. 6, pp 
173-174. 
