[C27]

Melampyrum pratense Down June 15 /43/ Most of the flowers bitten through by Bees on the very one left hand [sketch]

When looking at the spike: a day or two afterward saw some small Humbles going in at the mouth— found a few more bored

Jun 26th 1855 In large field of common Vetch, thousands of Hive Bees busy in sucking the liquid, sweet in taste, secreted from the brown spot wh (colourless in one instance) on bractea— I think this

[C27v]

was most copiously secreted, from the young stems with unopened flowers— important as bearing on the office of nectar— saw ant & youn small moth sucking ditto— Seemed most copiously secreted, was not a few days previously that is & I think not for I passed by field & could not have over looked these numbers.— Some The weather was had been hot for some days following long rains— Field in pretty full blossom.— Humble Bees were few & entering the flower

[C27a]

Published in Garden Chronicle 1855 Saturday July 21st─

[Darwin, C. R. 1855. Nectar-secreting organs of plants. Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette no. 29 (21 July): 487. F1684.]

[C27av]

July 15th Humble sucking stipulæ in another field