Annals of Botany (Volume 5) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891. Excerpt: ... HE following are the somewhat scattered and miscel A laneous notes which I was able to make during a two years' botanical trip. I found it quite impossible whilst travelling to make as thorough and complete observations as are really required to properly understand all the adaptations of a flower to insect-visitors; but as most of the forms have not hitherto been studied in their native haunts, the following may be of some interest. I endeavoured to collect every insect which I saw visiting the flowers, and brought home with me a numbered collection. I have to thank M. Henri de Saussure for his extreme kindness in naming for me all my Hymenoptera from Madagascar (about 60 species), many of which were new to science. Mr. L. Peringuey, Assistant Curator of the South African Museum, Cape Town, gave me also about 76 names most of which were specific as well as generic. These were chiefly Coleoptera from South Africa, and my thanks are due to him for his very valuable assistance with these difficult forms. I have also to thank Mr. Waterhouse, of the British Museum (Natural History), for about ten of the commonest generic names; I have not, however, been able to obtain any other assistance at home from the magnificent collection of South African and Madagascar insects in that institution, and many of my insects arc therefore still unnamed. Annals of Botany, Vol. V. No. XIX. August 18gi.J The literature of this part of botany is so well recorded in Miiller's ' Fertilisation of Plants, ' edited by D'Arcy Thompson (London, 1883), and in the further list given by Professor Macleod in the ' Botanisch Jaarboek, ' Tweede Jaargang, 1890, Gent (Vuylsteke), that I have in the text simply quoted their numbers for the different papers consulted. I have ventured to do this as.