POLLEN . 



3S1 



POLLEN. 



this notch is :i spur, or cap, v. The same 

 thing on a smaller scale can be seen at C. 

 This opening is fringed on the inside with 

 a row of hairs, an enlarged view showing at 

 F. It will be noted that this cleaner is locat- 

 ed, we might say, in the "elbow ''of the fore 

 legs, and within easy reach of the antennae 

 If flour is dusted upon these organs the bee 

 will immediately slip this notch over the an- 

 tennse, push v over to place, cleaning every 

 portion of the antennae at two or three 

 sweeps. Some have thought that the same 

 device is used for cleaning the tongue in a 

 similar manner, but this is hardly probable. 

 The tongue, unless at the extreme end, is 

 too large to go in this opening. If it could 



—Aft r F,e xhfr. 



be used for cleaning the longue the delicate 

 cleaner would become smeared with honey, 

 and thus what w^ould appear to be its pri- 

 mary function as an antenna?- cleaner would 

 be destroyed. 



When a bee gets into the hive (if a young 

 bee), it has to go through with a series of re- 

 joicings — see Bees; but if a regular laborer, 

 it proceeds at once, or at least as soon as it 

 has had a breathing-spell (for carrying large 

 loads of pollen is like carrying a hod of brick 

 to the top of a three-story brick building), to 

 deposit the pollen in the cells. This is done 

 very quickly by crossing its pollen - legs 

 while they are thrust to the bottom of the 

 cell, and then kicking the loads off, much 

 like the way in which our blue-eyed baby 

 kicks off her shoes wiien she takes a notion 

 to go barefooted. After unloading, it 



starts out again without paying any further 

 attention to the matter. 



After the pollen is dropped in the cells, it 

 will fall out if the comb is turned over; and 

 when the maples are first out in the spring, 

 we have heard and seen pollen rattle out 

 like shot, in turning the combs horizontally 

 to look at the queen. Very soon after pollen 

 is thus deposited, nursing-bees come and 

 mash it dow-n into a hard cake. We have 

 not been able to discover how. 



THE AGENCY OF BEES IN FERTILIZING PLANTS 

 BY MINGLING THE POLLEN. 



Before we consider the wonderful little 

 schemes of nature to bring about the work 

 of cross- fertilization, it will be necessary at 

 this point to give a few of the common terms 

 employed in botany to designate the differ- 

 ent parts of the flower. In the accompany- 

 ing illustration we have a case of w^hat is 

 known as the hermaphrodite flower, that is 

 to say, a perfect flower that is capable of 

 self-fertilization. In most of the specimens 

 that we show, we shall present deviations 

 from the pei feet flower. In most flowers we 

 have the male and female organs, the latttr 

 represented by what is known as the pistil 

 at the top of which is a receptive surface 

 called the stigma. Sometimes there is a 

 tube connecting the stigma wath the ovary. 

 This is called the style. The male organs 

 are designated by the name of anthers. 

 These contain little granules of powder 

 known as pollen. Around the male and 

 female organs are what is known as the cor- 

 olla consisting (f leaves of various colors, 

 and outside of these is the calyx, usually 

 green. The stem that supports the anther 

 is called the filament. The nectaries are 

 usually located at the base of the pistil or 

 the bottom of the flow^er as at B. The main 

 portion of the pistil called the ovary is what 

 constitutes the embi-yo frviit. In order that 

 this may develop, the pollen from A miut be 

 conveyed in some manner to the suifa( e of 

 the stigma as at C. The fertilizing fluid 

 passes downward, causing the fruit to de- 

 velop. It w^ould be well to bear in mind 

 these botanical terms in the description 

 which follows in order to understand how 

 beautiful and perfect is the design of nature 

 in bringing about cross-pollination. 



Before we proceed to the general subject 

 under this head, something should be said 

 regarding the evident intent of nature to 

 bring about crossing between the species 

 both in the animal and the vegetable king- 

 dom. For instance, among animals inbreed- 



