3°4 THE NA TU RE-STUD Y RE VIE W [ 2 . 9 _ DEC ., l9 o6 



Many clumps of flowers beloved by bees, etc., are grown in differ- 

 ent parts of the garden, and the girls who own these plants seem to 

 take a personal pride in the popularity of their flowers with the insects, 

 and are often seen in the dinner-hour bringing other girls to watch 

 what is taking place. 



It is very amusing to watch bees visiting sage flowers. The bee 

 alights on the lowest petal, which affords a good landing-place, and 

 pushes its proboscis down the long throat of the corolla, and in so 

 doing brings into operation a neat mechanical arrangement in the 

 form of a lever. The bee touches two flaps which are really the 

 lower ends of the two stamens, and at once the upper ends swing 

 round, hit the bee on the back, and deposit thereon the precious 

 yellow dust or pollen. The quick and sure way in which the upper 

 part of the stamen strikes the back of the bee is a constant interest 

 to all who watch, and on this account alone it is well worth growing 

 salvias in the garden. The bee, with its back covered with pollen, 

 visits another salvia flower, and coming in contact with a certain part, 

 leaves some of the pollen on it, and in this way pollinates the flower 

 and helps in the formation of seed. 



The snapdragon, too, is a great favorite. A bee alights on the 

 lowest petal, and with an effort opens the corolla, then enters it and 

 disappears from view as the corolla closes. In a short time the corolla 

 opens, and the bee comes out walking backwards, with its back 

 covered with pollen 



On visiting another snapdragon flower, some of the pollen is rubbed 

 off and the flower is pollinated. In order that there may be ample 

 opportunities of watching bees visiting flowers, we have a beehive in 

 the garden, and some of the girls are much interested in studying the 

 habits, etc., of bees. 



Sometimes the bees attracted by the presence of flowers come into 

 the laboratory, and on some occasions have been most useful in polli- 

 nating the flowers of plants growing in food solutions, and on others 

 have excited great interest by pollinating cut flowers in the presence of 

 a class. 



The study of elementary classification is greatly helped by the plots 

 in which girls grow certain orders or families of plants, and specimens 

 for these plots are obtained by the girls when taking country rambles, 

 or are sent to us by friends, old girls, etc. So far as space allows, the 

 girls are at liberty to grow as many specimens of a particular species 

 as they like, and the plots look gay with hollyhocks, sweet peas, wild 

 roses, poppies, lilies, buttercups, foxgloves, etc. 



