[C38]

Rather insignificant flowers which Bees do not frequent

May 16 /61/ Stellaria holostea, — anthers open one after other, but not until all opened does 3 stigmas expand— pollen coherent.— & then every single anther empty — I examined every flower. I saw many brush flies feeding on pollen, but these cd do no good in fertilising, as they haunted the young flowers alone.— There were on all the many petals of this plant many small [word obscured] flies, which walked from petal to petal & pushed proboscis down to nectar with regularity of Bees, in doing this in young hardly expanded flowers walked against stamens in the older flowers with reflexed stigmas did the same for these.— I have no doubt this weed (perennial) depends on these Flies.— C.C. Sprengel only notices nectaries in this genus; but he says Cerastium p. 261 aquaticum & arvense are both Dichogamous — so is Spergula nodosa  p 86 Sagina procumbens has nectary

/over

[C38v]

May 18th In Hangwood saw 2 other species of Flies, sucking this plant by the hundreds; dusted with pollen; not so regularly as the little fly which sucked like a Bee with regularity.—

I think Papil. visited by fly Bees & Moths— Lobiata by Bees & Scroph. (except Euphorbia) Orchid by moths & Hymenoptera— Irregular flowers generally by these 2 orders.—

Small simple flowers by Diptera, Arvense by Flies

Umbelliferæ Hymenopt. (not Bees) & Flies.

Compositæ Hymenoptera chiefly;

Violaceæ Bees (possibly Heartease by Rhogis fly)

Polygala do

Fumariaceæ do.

[C39]

May 24th 1861.— Watched Veronica hederæfolia with its very minute & inconspicuous flowers — saw several of the hovering flies, Syrphidæ, go to them: Killed one & fd it dusted with pollen. Cannot say whether own pollen, for these flies flew indifferently to this species & V. chamædrys. Very differently to Bees.— The Anthers made seem to & approach stigma when shedding pollen & so fertilise it.— This Veronica not largely frequented by Flies.—

Watched Avenaria serpyllifolia with its small white flowers— watched several days & never saw fly go to it.— Not dichogam.— stigma get self dusted — Could see no nectar (v. Kurr & Sprengel).

Saw very many Humble bees sucking abundant nectar of common Barberry & not one Hive-Bee.—