Insects in Great Britain . 267 
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a height of 2380 feet on Plynlimmon. It is almost the only- 
plant to be seen in flower in late summer above 1200 feet, 
the Ericaceae being rare on account of the very boggy soil. 
Visitors. Lepidoptera. Rhopalocera: (1) Polyommatus phloeas L., 
s. h. 600 ft. 10. 9. 93. Diptera. Syrphidae: (2) Sphaerophoria scripta 
L., do. 5. 9. 93. (3) Eristalis horticola L,, s. h. 800 ft. 3. 9. 93. 
Tachinidae : (4) Siphona geniculata Deg., s. h. 800 ft. 3. 9. 93. 
Muscidae : (5) Lucilia cornicina F., do. Anthomyiidae : (6) Antho- 
myia radicum L., do. (7) A. sp. ? do. to 1000 ft. 
RANUNCULACEAE : 55 . Ranunculus hederaeeus L. [Lit. 
4 , 14 .] Abundant in the district. The flowers are very 
small (5 mm. diam.) and inconspicuous ; no insects were 
observed to visit them. The stamens are few in number, the 
carpels fairly numerous with well-marked stigmas. The 
tissue at the base of the petals, where the nectary is usually 
found in this genus, is glandular-looking, but no free honey 
could be found. The anthers dehisce while the flower is 
opening and cover themselves all round with pollen, at the 
same time pollinating the stigmas. The stamens move out- 
wards after dehiscence. The peduncle bends downwards 
after flowering, to ripen the fruit. All flowers examined were 
fully productive. 
LlLIACEAE : 50 . Narthecium ossifragum Huds. [Class 
Po, Lit. 3 , 14 , 18 .] Abundant up to 1200 feet. The mechanism 
agrees with Knuth’s description ( 14 ), but frequently we found 
autogamy occurring by the flower opening so late that the 
anthers had already dehisced and pollinated the stigma. The 
fact of the plant being near the end of its flowering season 
may have had something to do with this ( 27 ). The tissue at 
the base of the stamens is juicy and may perhaps be pierced 
by bees, if they visit the flower (cf. Brodiaea , in No. 27 ). 
Visitors. Hymenoptera. Aculeata : Myrmicidae : (1) Myrmica rubra 
L., f. p. 800 ft. 5. 9. 93. Terebrantia : Chalcididae : (2) One species, 
800 ft. 3. 9. 93. Diptera. Syrphidae : (3) Platychirus manicatus Mg., 
f. p. 600 ft. 15. 9. 93. Anthomyiidae : (4) Hylemyia lasciva Ztt., f. p. 
freq. 800 ft. 5. 9. (5) Anthomyia radicum L., do., ab. (6) Anth. sp. ? 
do. Ephydridae : (7) Hydrellia griseola Fin., do. freq. Hemiptera. 
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