1924 ] 
Flower Visits of Insect II 
97 
Bombyliidce. — Of 370 visits of 28 species to 160 flowers, 
45.6 per cent are to Mas, 31.6 to Mis, 38.3 to yellow and 50.8 
to Compositse. Of the flowers visited, 35.0 belong to Mas and 
28.1 to yellow. Visits to red are 23.7 compared with 75.0 in 
the' Alps. After June the maxima change from Hb 27.7 to B’ 
66 . 0, Mis 31 . 9 to Mas 58 . 0, white 52 . 9 to yellow 43 . 5. 
Conopidce. — Of 238 visits of 15 species to 115 flowers, 47 per 
cent are to Mis, 25.6 to Mas, 20.1 to Pol, 56.3 to white, 10.9 
to Labiatse, 14.2 to Umbelliferse and 32.3 to Compositse. Red 
shows 13.8 compared with 44.4 in the Alps. After June the 
maximum shifts from AB 29.9 to B’ 43.6. Mas changes from 
14 . 7 to 35 . 9, yellow from 35 . 2 to 25 . 3 and red from 9 . 8 to 19 . 0. 
Syrphidce.~Oi 1165 visits of 86 species to 203 flowers, 51.5 
per cent are to Mis, 20.0 to Pol, 58.8 to white, 33.9 to yellow, 
24.4 to Compositse and 17.8 to Umbelliferae. Red shows 7.2, 
in the Alps 29.3. After June the maximum changes from AB 
37 . 8 to B’ 47 . 5. Mi changes from 22 . 2 to 7 . 8, Mas from 2 . 1 to 
22 . 9, yellow from 39 . 2 to 29 . 0. 
The importance of these flies as pollinators has been greatly 
exaggerated. The general habit of pollen-eating is shown from 
the fact that the proboscis is never modified so as to prevent it. 
In 104 visits of Syrphidse to diclinous flowers 31.7 per cent were 
to pistillate, and 68.2 to staminate, flowers. This shows pretty 
decisively their preference for pollen. They make more non- 
pollinating visits than are made by all other flies together. Of 
145 visits of this kind 50.3 per cent are to Ma and 42.7 to red. 
The flowers showing the greatest number of Syrphidse are 
Sassafras variifolium 19, Salix cordata 22, Solidago canadensis 
22, Pastinaca sativa 26, Aster ericoides villosus 30, Heracleum 
lanatum 32. 
Empididce. — Of 162 visits of 24 species to 87 flowers, 48 . 1 
per cent are to Mis, 25.3 to Pol, 60.4 to white, 31.4 to yellow, 
12.3 to Roascese, 15.4 to Compositse and 16.0 to Umbelliferse. 
Pol shows 12 . 6 per cent of the flowers visited. Red shows 8 per 
cent of the \isits, in the Alps 30.1. After June the maximum 
changes from A 38.5 to B’ 57.5. The siphonate proboscis was 
