METHODS OF POLLINATION. 25 



anthers stand under the hood-like petal, at the back, 

 with the stigmas close to and between them (I.). But 

 the stigmas are not yet ready to receive the pollen. 

 The large " lip," as the front petal is called, forms the 

 landing-place for the bee. Unlike Pelargonium, the 

 petals are all "coherent" into one piece and not free. 

 The use of their all being joined is to add strength to 

 the corolla so as to bear the weight of the insect. 



Now turn to figure (II.)j ^^^ it is easy to see how 

 the bee's big body exactly fits the flower, as if the 

 latter were made specially for it ; and so, too, it is 

 believed to have been, for flowers have the power 

 of altering, not all at once, but in several generations. 

 How many are necessary is unknown; but that if 

 the same kind of insect habitually visits the same 

 kind of flower, this gradually becomes adapted to it, 

 as has evidently been the case here. 



Notice how the bee's legs grip the ridges on the 

 lip ; so that it can rest comfortably while it is rifling 

 the flower of its honey, which is secreted by a gland 

 at the bottom. 



There are many more wonderful contrivances than 

 this. One of the commonest kind of South African 

 herbs is the Lohc'lia. It is obvious that the corolla 

 is very irregular (Fig. 14). The stamens have their 

 anthers coherent into a tube (I. and TL), through 

 which passes the style of the pistil. Up the middle 

 of the stamens stands the pistil (I.). It has two 



