56 



NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



have as guests from year to year. One species of butterfly 

 which is frequently found on the blossoms is the pretty little 

 yellow species, Terrias lisa, which is shown in the illus- 

 tration, just as it is about to alight on a flower. As the 

 larvse of this insect feed on a species of cassia and on clover, 

 the visits of the butterfly to the wild bergamot are for nectar. 

 It must be admitted that structures of flowers often appear 

 to have indifl"erent characters which are difficult to account 

 for on the ground of natural selection. It is, however, more 

 often our ignorance of the complex life as well as a quantitative 

 analysis of variations of a flower that lead us astray in inter- 

 preting these structures. 



,¥2^-c" 



The Seasonal Pko( kssiun of the 

 Flowers, Insects, and liiuns 



^^21 tions oi nati 



ARDLY can we realize the changes being 



\\ roiiulit in the woods and meadows unless we 



'lose touch with the varied condi- 



ture. On August twenty-second, 



after a night of rain, I find the following summing 



up of the day's reflections: The flowers of the wild 



bergamot, which a few weeks ago appeared in their 



best colors, are now fast fading. It is rare that a per- 



i feet, fresh flower can be found unless it may be one 



growing in some shady spot. With the going out of the 



bergamot are contrasted the cardinal flowers, which are now 



A' 



