Various

“ Even in the case of large insects, such as Bombus, it would seem that the probability that the stigma will be supplied with pollen from the large stamen exclusively is very small. It seems improbable that S. rostratum should depend exclusively upon such an uncertain method of pollination as the projection, by the jarring of a stamen, of a puff of pollen upon the side of an insect, and the subsequent transfer of this pollen to the stigma of a flower of a different type. ”

“ The determination of any law governing the order of development of the flowers in a plant like C. chamæcrista, where they are arranged in clusters developed from buds produced on the main axis, and the development of which is probably accelerated or retarded by various conditions, is much more difficult than in S. rostratum, where they are produced on a definite raceme, which is early differentiated from the terminal growing point, and at first develops more rapidly than the bud which is to continue the main axis of the branch. ”

“ In 1882 Professor Todd published his interesting observations [D] on the pollination of Solanum rostratum and Cassia chamæcrista. Since that time, so far as the writers are aware, nothing has appeared upon this subject. During the months of August and September, 1901, opportunity was afforded the writers for making more extended observations on these species. The notes here given are the result of these observations. In some respects, these observations, or the conclusions drawn from them, differ essentially from those made by Professor Todd; in others they are practically the same. ”

“ The terminal portion of the raceme, bearing the buds, is strongly decurved, so that unopened buds obstruct in no way a clear view of the conspicuous flowers, which thus appear to be terminal. The racemes, when in flower, are so far to the outside that the flowers are very little screened by the foliage, whose dark green background renders them more conspicuous. ”

“ The plant might be considered as normally developed, having produced apparently the normal number of seed pods, and so would not be classed with the rank vegetative development which plants sometimes show when grown in very rich soil.
[G] S. rostratum appears to be better adapted to xerophytic conditions by its extensive root system than by any adaptation for the prevention of evaporation of water. When cut down on a warm day, the plants wilt in a very few minutes. ”

“ It seems hardly probable that material growing in Iowa should show such a marked difference, but in case this statement is not the result of an oversight on the part of Professor Todd, it is of considerable interest. The anthers dehisce by terminal pores, as is common in the genus to which the plant belongs.
The two lower lobes of the corolla are produced into short wings, which in the bud enfold the pistil and the large stamen, which is clearly differentiated as such in the youngest buds in which the stamens may be discerned by careful dissection. ”

“ Professor Todd says: “The flowers are arranged on simple, bractless racemes which extend in a horizontal position.” The material examined by the writers does not quite agree with this observation, the most of the racemes extending upward at a considerable angle. Ten racemes from different plants were selected at random and their angle above the horizontal taken. From the table, it will be noted that the nearest approach to the horizontal is fifteen degrees above, one raceme is vertical, and the average of the ten is fifty-seven degrees above the horizontal. ”

“ It will be seen from table D that an average of nearly 3.3 flower buds per cluster is produced. These were moderate-sized, healthy plants, producing on the whole probably more than the average number of clusters per plant. On the ten plants, there were produced 342 clusters, which bore 344 seed pods, instead of about 1120, the number of flowers which might be expected, thus giving less than thirty-three per cent. of the buds which produce mature seed pods. ”

“ The percentage of cases in which seeds develop in those flowers in which artificial pollination is effected in the same flower or in two flowers of the same raceme is much smaller than when cross-pollination is effected by insects, reaching, in the case of the somewhat limited experiments of the writers, only as high as 28.5 per cent. ”

“ Occasionally a very large [Pg 31] plant is observed which produces as many as 125 racemes. Allowing the same low average of six pods to the raceme, it will be seen that on a plant of this size there will be produced in the neighborhood of 40,000 seeds.
Only a very small proportion of the ovaries fail to develop. Out of the forty-one racemes observed in five plants, taken at random in different localities, results were obtained as follows:
According to these figures, not more than 6.2 per cent. ”

“ A convenient method of approaching the question of the production of seeds might be to determine the number of seed pods produced on a given area of ground. A general idea may be obtained from the examination of the plants growing upon two square feet of ground. ”

“ The specimens were very plentiful around Boiling Springs, a place where one of the cold, underground rivulets of the region breaks through the rocks in the bottom of the stream.
In a clear, rocky stream, [B] shallow in most places, flowing between high hills, about four miles northwest of Springfield, crayfish were found in abundance. The smaller and by far the more numerous species was C. neglectus. The animals were very active, darting from stone to stone when disturbed, but usually remaining under cover but a short time. ”

“ All the females were, with one exception, well loaded with eggs, which appear, from an examination with a hand lens, to be in a very early stage of development, and have probably been only comparatively recently laid. ”

“ So far as reported, this species is confined to a narrow strip of territory running north for about eighty miles from the southern boundary of the state and drained by the Arkansas river.
3. Cambarus gracilis Bundy.
Specimens of this species are hard to obtain, and this doubtless accounts for its few localities. It is found in the territory drained by the Arkansas (1) as well as that drained by the Kansas river (2) . ”

“ In a limited number of cases the pollen from the large stamen of a flower seems to be fertile on its own stigma, as well as upon the stigma of a flower opening simultaneously on the opposite side of raceme.
10. Spontaneous self-pollination seems sometimes to occur. ”

“ They were probably never connected when the water was high in the creek. No fish had ever been taken in the pond, but specimens of Amblystoma tigrinum (green) were found. (A. tigrinum and C. immunis are sometimes found in the same ponds in Douglas county.)
Among a dozen specimens given to me, some of the females were carrying eggs but none were noticed with young. ”

“ No new species have been found in the state, and there has been practically no new literature of a taxonomic nature since the appearance of the catalogue. The synonomy has, therefore, been omitted. In referring to localities reported in the previous paper I shall designate them by numbers enclosed in parentheses, C. virilis, (3) , the number being that of the locality as given in that paper—the example given being: C. virilis, Wabaunsee county (coll. Washb. Coll.) ”

“ The petal may to a certain extent, in connection with the pistil, serve as support for the insect. Todd and Robertson observed only humblebees visiting the flowers. The writers obtained:
Apis mellifica Linn. Lake View, August 7. Seven specimens. Agapostemon texanus Cress. Lake View, August 7. Mellisoides bimaculata (St. Farg) Lepl. Lake View, August 7. Megachile petulans Cress. Lake View, August 7. Bombus separatus Cress. Lake View, August 7.
As in the case of Solanum, it will be seen that the collecting period extended over a very short period of time. ”