loo  Sugar  in  the  Nectar  of  Flowers.  {Km'^\ln^ 
interest  our  pharmacal  friends  in  this  wonderful  region  of  natural  curiosities  situated 
amid  the  most  delightful  scenery  and  with  the  best  hunting  and  fishing  we  have 
ever  enjoyed,  and  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Petrified  Forest,  where  trees  of 
stone  a  dozen  feet  in  diameter  can  be  seen,  we  will  be  abundantly  satisfied,  while  if  the 
interest  is  such  as  to  project  a  visit  in  person,  verily  great  will  be  their  reward  ! 
Philadelphia,  12th  mo.  30th,  1878. 
AMOUNTS  OF  SUGAR  CONTAINED  IN  THE  NECTAR  OF 
VARIOUS  FLOWERS. 
By  A.  S.  Wilson. 
The  sweet-tasted  fluid  which  is  secreted  within  the  cups  of  insect-fertilized,  flowers 
is  called  nectar,  and  the  object  gained  to  the  plant  by  its  presence  is  that  insects,, 
induced  to  visit  flowers  for  its  sake,  are  useful  to  the  plants  by  effecting  a  cross-ferti- 
lization. In  many  instances  this  sweet  liquid  is  exuded  from  special  glands,  but  to- 
other cases  from  portions  of  the  flower  which  do  not  seem  to  have  been  specially 
adapted  for  this  purpose.  It  is  a  point  in  dispute  amongst  biologists  whether  th:  > 
saccharine  matter  is  a  true  secretion,  or  simply  an  excretion  of  effete  matter  from 
the  vegetable  cells — a  bye-product  of  the  chemical  changes  taking  place  within  the 
cells.  The  latter  view  seems  to  be  favored  by  the  fact  that  a  similar  sweet-tasted 
fluid,  much  sought  after  by  insects,  is  exuded  on  different  parts  of  some  plants  quit  - 
unconnected  with  the  flower,  as  in  the  laurel,  brake,  fern,  lime  tree,  acacia,  etc.  The 
bright  colors,  as  shown  by  Lubbock's  experiments,  serve  to  guide  insects  to  the 
flowers,  and  the  od^rs  which  they  emit  fulfill  the  same  end.  The  importance  of  these 
guides  to  insects  will  be  apparent  from  the  following  estimations,  which  show  how 
indispensable  it  is  that  as  little  time  as  possible  should  be  lost  by  an  insect  collecting; 
honey.  The  formation  of  nectar  is  observed  to  take  place  most  freely  in  hot  weather* 
and  to  be  prevented  by  cold  or  wet.  By  biologists,  the  visits  of  bees,  butterflies  and 
other  insects  are  believed  to  have  exercised  in  past  time  an  important  influence  in 
modifying  the  size,  shape,  color,  etc  ,  of  flowerss  and  the  following  experiments  are 
of  interest  as  showing  to  what  an  extent  this  action  takes  place  in  nature,  and  as 
helping  to  determine  the  value  of  this  factor.  The  nectar  was  extracted  with  water, 
and  the  sugar  determined,  before  and  after  inversion,  by  means  of  Fehling's  copper 
solution.  In  the  case  of  fuchsia — which  is  not  deprived  of  its  nectar  by  any  insect 
in  this  country,  the  nectar  being  inaccessible  to  native  species — we  have  probably  the 
whole  amount  formed,  but  in  other  cases  the  visits  of  bees,  etc.,  may  have  reduced 
the  amounts  considerably.  In  this  case  it  is  a  clear  colorless  liquid,  having  an  acid 
reaction  and  an  intensely  sweet  taste ;  that  of  many  others  has  the  strong  character- 
istic odor  of  honey. 
Sugar  in  Flowers. 
1.  Fuchsia  per  flower, 
2.  Claytonia  Alsinoides,  ditto, 
3.  Everlasting  pea,  ditto, 
4.  Vetch  [Vicia  Cracca)  per  raceme, 
5.  Ditto,  per  single  flower, 
6.  Red  clover,  per  head, 
7.  Ditto  per  floret, 
8.  Monkshood,  per  flower,  . 
Total 
Fruit 
Cane  sugar ' 
mgram. 
-sugar. 
(as  frirt). 
7'59 
1*69 
5'9 
0-413 
0-175 
0-238 
993 
8-83 
i-6o 
3"i6 
3'15 
0  01 
0-158 
0-158 
7'93 
5'95 
1*98 
o'i  32 
0-099 
0033 
6*41 
4  63 
178 
