THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



o 



CHEERFUL AND CONSPICUOUS FLOWERS 

 they do not move suddenly. They will even visit, without a 

 sign of fear, flowers detached from the plant and held in the 

 hand. As the twilight deepens one may throw a beam of light 

 on flower and moth and study both at close range. Margaret 

 Deland has referred to the friendship of flower and insect in 

 the lines 



"And there the primrose stands, that as the night 

 Begins to gather and the dews to fall, 

 Flings wide to circling moths her twisted buds 

 That shine like moons with pale cold glow." 

 Some interesting experiments were made witli the flowers 

 i>f the species previously mentioned to discover what stimulus 

 it is that causes the flowers to open and close. Two buds 

 picked a few minutes before the opening time and placed in 

 water close to a bright light remained closed but when one 

 bud was shaded it immediately opened. The other continued 

 closed until it. too, was placed in darkness. Still other blos- 

 soms placed in a cool, dark cellar remained open for more 



