to 86. (5/3.  We here see that both Lupinus luteus and pilosus seed freely when insects are excluded; but Mr. Swale, of Christchurch, in New Zealand, informs me ‘Gardeners’ Chronicle’ 1858 page 828, that the garden varieties of the lupine are not there visited by any bees, and that they seed less freely than any other introduced leguminous plant, with the exception of red clover.  He adds “I have, for amusement, during the summer, released the stamens with a pin, and a pod of seed has always rewarded me for my trouble, the adjoining flowers not so served having all proved blind.”  I do not know to what species this statement refers.)

Phaseolus multiflorus.

This plant, the scarlet-runner of English gardeners and the Phaseolus coccineus of Lamarck, originally came from Mexico, as I am informed by Mr. Bentham.  The flowers are so constructed that hive and humble-bees, which visit them incessantly, almost always alight on the left wing-petal, as they can best suck the nectar from this side.  Their weight and movements depress the petal, and this causes the stigma to protrude from the spirally-wound keel, and a brush of hairs round the stigma pushes out the pollen before it.  The pollen adheres to the head or proboscis of the bee which is at work, and is thus placed either on the stigma of the same flower, or is carried to another flower. (5/4.  The flowers have been described by Delpino, and in an admirable manner by Mr. Farrer in the ‘Annals and Magazine of Natural History’ volume 2 4th series October 1868 page 256.  My son Francis has explained ‘Nature’ January 8, 1874 page 189, the use of one peculiarity in their structure, namely, a little vertical projection on the single free stamen near its base, which seems placed as if to guard the entrance into the two nectar-holes in the staminal sheath.  He shows that this projection prevents the bees reaching the nectar, unless they go to the left side of the flower, and it is absolutely necessary for cross-fertilisation that they should alight on the left wing-petal.) Several years ago I covered some plants under a large net, and these produced on one occasion about one-third, and on another occasion about one-eighth, of the number of pods which the same number of uncovered plants growing close alongside produced. (5/5.  ‘Gardeners’ Chronicle’ 1857 page 725 and more especially ibid 1858 page 828.  Also ’Annals and Magazine of Natural History’ 3rd series volume 2 1858 page 462.) This lessened fertility was not caused by any injury from the net, as I moved the wing-petals of several protected flowers, in the same manner as bees do, and these produced remarkably fine pods.  When the net was taken off, the flowers were immediately visited by bees, and it was interesting to observe how quickly the plants became covered with young pods.  As the flowers are much frequented by Thrips, the self-fertilisation of most of the flowers under the net may have been due to the action of these minute insects.  Dr. Ogle likewise covered up