(5.) Observations should be made at different dates during the period of blooming of the plant studied; the visitors at one period may be very different from those at another.
(6.) In every case it is important to state the names of the insects observed. This is perhaps the chief stumbling-block to observers. Even H. Müller in Europe had to leave many of his captures unrecorded, because he could not find out their names. In other countries, where much less is known about the insect fauna, and many of the species are undescribed, the difficulty is much increased.
The object of the present series of papers is to put on record a number of new observations made in New Mexico, adding such comments as the facts may suggest. It will be necessary to introduce more botanical matter than usually appears in the pages of 'The Zoologist'; in fact, similar papers have appeared in botanical journals, their botanical aspect being as important as the entomological.
(1.) Ranunculus cymbalaria, Pursh.—A good patch in flower by the Rio Grande, Mesilla, April 19th, 1897. An ochreous Thrips was pretty common on the flowers, but no other insects, except a single specimen of the small fly, Eugnoriste occidentalis, Coquillett.
(2.) Argemone platyceras, L. & O. (Papaveraceæ).—At Santa Fe, Aug. 3rd, in the afternoon, found many plants with closed flowers, inside which were numbers of bees, all more or less sleepy, crawling but not flying when disturbed. A beetle, determined by Capt. Casey as Carpophilus pallipennis, was also common in the flowers. The bees were as follows:—
(a.) Podalirius occidentalis (Cresson).—Twenty-eight specimens. I have never taken this on any other flower.
(b.) Diadasia enavata (Cresson).—Three. Visits other flowers.
(c.) Melissodes menuacha, Cresson.—Seven.
(d.) M. agilis var. aurigenia (Cresson).—Nine.
(e.) Andrena argemonis, Ckll.—Two. This species was described as new (1896) from these specimens, and no others are yet known.
One specimen of an Otiorhynchid beetle, Peritaxia hispida, Lec, was also taken from the flowers. The consideration of the above case suggests that flowers which are not particularly attractive to bees when open may gain something by affording good sleeping places when closed in dull weather. The bees, when the flowers opened, would fly away, carrying more or less pollen with them, which they might transfer to other flowers. This idea did not occur to me when the observations were made, so I neglected to note the facts which might confirm it.
