[C10]

[later insertion in brown crayon:] Ch 3 (notes on Bees finding flowers)

Maer June 41.

Humbles certainly often visit same flower in Bunch twice— Peculiar kinds seem most attached to certain plants; thus a very large one to Larkspur & small black one to Fraxinella, though several other kinds frequent the latter— small & Domestic Bees the Thyme

I observe thrice Humbles flying in straight line from one Larkspur to a large conspicuous Larkspur, in wh. had not one blossom open & the buds not showing much colour— The second plant was about 15 yd distant— Hence not small; nor sight of flower of Bee Larkspur nor habit of going to that bush—, but aspect of general plant— I think most Bees seem to know the Flower garden, they do not very often, though they do often go examining (a)— I saw Humble Bees many times fly from Fraxinella

[C10v]

{The extraordinary degree in which lower petal of Mimulus, wings & keel of a red everlasting Pea are scratched & torn show how often large Bees visit same flower— X What thousands have I watched & this summer never seen them ever examine Heartease or I believe Phlox — yet some flowers a hunting bee they will examine

[C11]

to another plant by straightest line, round thick bush, which hid sight.— I have seen them fly suddenly & strangely from Pink to white Fraxinella.— Perhaps these Bees well knew garden.— shows sight not sole means of knowledge— Bees entering the close flowered Iris & Snap-dragon, not aboriginals, shows small & acquired knowledge— I have seen at Shrewsbury go straight from one Linaria to another which was hidden by a Phlox.—I see Bevan doubts much eye sight to Bees.— from 12 to 2000 in Hive besides drones— go from 3 to 5 miles = Bevan quotes many authorities to show that Bees visiting pollen, (chiefly in morning) keep to same species.— Mem Poppies — Mem Oenothera (a) will it be supposed at Maer where few gardens one Bee can be content with only this plant I have seen them go to the Poppies &c — As far as final cause is concerned, their visiting, when nectar-hunting different species, is equally hostile to such views —

[C11v]

[This page is in Emma Darwin's handwriting]

(a) This very day (Shrewsbury July 12/41) I saw several bees Humbles with large masses of pollen certainly collecting pollen on pink Didinam Mimulus rosea plant with forceps stigma Abberly says a Mimulus of which there was only 1 clump in garden & not probably any in Neighbourhood. N.B at same time many nectar hunting bees visited flower & it was beautiful to see how lower division stigma licked back of the bee X & hairy anthers dusted it. I can't see use of brush of papillae & difft colour of lower side of tube of corolla, in this flower with yellow Mimulus in foxglove & many other didinams.