THE PLAIS3T WORLD 203 



The earlier of the blooms are visited bj^ honey-bees, which are 

 content with the large quantities of pollen now found in the anthers, 

 and do not make any attempts to reach into tlie long tube of the corolla 

 for the sweets found in abundance at its base. The amount of this 

 honey almost any child will serve as witness, for with the flower re- 

 moved from its stem in hand, it knows how to draw the style backward 

 and remove the nectar with the piston-shaped stigma, and regale itself 

 at the expense of the bumble bee that was possibly ready to get the 

 same delicate draught in its own natural way. 



But as the sun declines and the air gets more and more laden with 

 the honeysuckle fi-agrance, due to the increasing number of freshly 

 opened flowers, the various night-flying insects are in evidence. Among 

 the most conspicuous of these is the syhinx-moth, which pauses before 

 each of the white blossoms long enough to take a sip and then darts on 

 to the next. So busy are they in their round of service, that, standing 

 motionless, the interested watcher can have them close to his eyes, see 

 the whole and exceedingly simple process all done while upon the 

 wing. The down-turning of the single lobe of the corolla and the uj)- 

 turning of the other four united making an arched opening into which 

 the long protniding stamens and style provide guides, combine in form- 

 ing a cavity into which the probosis of the moth is thrust, and the nec- 

 tar being close at hand is easily removed without the flower forming 

 any resting place for the insect attendant. The wonder is that the 

 moths can sustain themselves so steadily in front of each blossom; but 

 from the almost inaudible hum it is evident that the large and delicate 

 wings are moved with remarkable rapidity. Where the moth rests him- 

 self during the hours when not in attendance upon the honeysuckle is 

 a matter that is left to the lepidojjterous entomologist to elucidate. 



The moth in question has a rival in the person of master humming 

 bird, and so much alike are these to the unobser^dng observer that only 

 a dancing, swaying, hazy, vanishing blur is seen in either case against 

 the indistinct background of the honeysuckle hedge in the deepening 

 twilight. 



The humming bird is less easy to study, and to get close to his 

 fast fluttering wings is a rarity indeed. As soon as the busy bird is 

 once recognized by his long, needle-shaped bill, bright, iridescent 

 plumage, exceedingly- quick, darting motions and characteristic hum- 

 ming of the T\dngs he is not confounded with the sluggard of a moth or 

 any other creature. The bird, like the insect, with which he might 

 weigh in the same notch, pauses iu the air before the evening blossom 

 and quickly sips the nectar without indulging in the climbing method 

 of alighting as is in vogue with the heavy, short-winged humble bee. 

 The bird makes a cleaner job of it than the moth in every way. His 



