THE FERTILISATION OF SALVIA AND OTHER FLOWERS. 267 
will be sufficient if I give a much shorter account of other 
forms. Neither will it be worth while to do more than select a 
few species from the very many I have examined. 
Salvia glutinosa . — This salvia, in its general arrangements, 
has a close resemblance to that which I have just described at 
length. The most notable differences are these : — The lower 
anther cells are entirely unproductive of pollen, and, instead of 
projecting from the hood, lie inside the tube, the opening of 
which they block up. Neither in glutinosa nor in any of the 
other salvias to be hereafter described, is there the bulging 
recess in the hinder part of the corolla which I pointed out 
in the last species, and which allowed of a greater range of 
motion backwards in the lower anther cells. To compensate 
for this, these salvias have a more or less developed bulging out 
on the opposite side, that is, on the lower surface of the tube. 
This bulge gives a freer access to the nectary when the anther 
cells have been pushed back as far as they will go. This bulge 
is not nearly so marked in glutinosa as in many other species. 
The stigma in glutinosa, as in most species, matures later than 
the anthers ; still the difference in time is not so great but that 
blossoms may be found in which there is a mature stigma, and 
anther cells containing pollen. 
This species is fertilised by the large humble bees. The 
smaller humble bees and the hive bees visit it, but have not 
a proboscis long enough to reach the nectary. They have, how- 
ever, learnt to overcome this difficulty. They make a hole in 
the tube of the corolla just above the nectary, and thus rob the 
flower of its secretion, without performing the duty which 
nature intended to attach to the enjoyment. How thoroughly 
the bees have acquired this treacherous habit, and how perfectly 
they have learned that their proboscis is too short to get at the 
nectary in any other way, anyone will see who spends half an 
hour in watching this plant. The bee makes straight for the 
hole in the tube, and never makes the slightest attempt to get 
in at the mouth. At any rate, though I have watched often, I 
have never seen it do so. Once or twice only I have seen the 
bee, instead of going to the hole, fix on the hood, and rifle the 
pollen. The hole in the tube is always made in exactly the 
same place, and nearly every blossom has one made into it 
sooner or later. On one occasion I examined a large number of 
flowers, and found the hole in 90 per cent, of them. This is an 
interesting example of the occasional imperfection of Nature’s 
arrangements. One is reminded of a trap so faultil}’’ constructed 
that a cunning mouse can manage to carry off the bait, without 
setting the machinery in motion, by getting at it in some cir- 
cuitous way. There are other plants, such as the common 
scarlet-runner, which are treated by bees in a similar way. 
