Packard.] INSECTS OF THE FIELD. 203 



as if bafilod. Most of them, however, begin operations at the 

 back at once. The}'^ alight with the tail towards the open 

 end of the flower, and at once insert the head into tlie little 

 hole. I have never seen them make the apertnre, although it 

 is difficult to find a blossom without one. Even the buds are 

 often penetrated ; out of a large number of flowers plucked 

 at random from different plants in different localities I can- 

 not find one flower without the slit." The bees alluded to 

 were humble bees. In Europe they are known to perforate 

 the flowers of the bean and similar plants. 



Lubbock, in concluding a chapter on the importance of 

 insects to flowers, says that to insects "flowers are indebted 

 for their scent and colour ; nay, for their very existence, in 

 their present form. Not only have the present shape and 

 outlines, the brilliant colours, the sweet scent, and the honey 

 of flowers been gradually developed through the unconscious 

 selection exercised by insects ; but the very arrangement of 

 the colours, the circular bands and radiating lines, the form, 

 size, and position of the petals, the relative situations of 

 the stamens and pistil, are all arranged with reference to the 

 visits of insects, and in such a manner as to insure the grand 

 object whfch these visits are destined to effect." 



It will be seen from these facts and suggestions that the 

 distribution of insects depends largely on that of plants. A 

 field of clover will attract humble bees for miles around ; 

 the night flying moths are attracted long distances to those 

 flowers which are open at dusk, at night or in the early morn- 

 ing, such as the honeysuckles, pinks, scarlet runners, petu- 

 nias, and other tubular flowers. Indeed, Lubbock remarks 

 in this connection that "flowers which are fertilized by night- 

 flying insects would derive no advantage from being open by 

 day ; and on the other hand, that those which arc fertilized 

 by bees would gain nothing by being open at night. Nay, 

 it would be a distinct disadvantage, because it would render 

 them liable to be robbed of their honey and pollen, by in- 



11 



