ARTIFICIAL FERTILISATION. 



28^ 



why certain open flowers which secrete nectar are not visited by 

 both. The small quantity of nectar secreted by some of these- 

 flowers can hardly be the cause of their neglect, as hive-bees search 

 eagerly for the minute drops on the glands of the leaves of the 

 Pni una hturncernitiiii." 



"The small quantity of honey secreted" is the cause. Within 

 a near radius there were, undoubtedly, flowers that were secreting 

 larger quantities of honey, and both humble and hive-bees always 

 visit flowers where they can gather the greatest quantity in the 

 shortest space of time. When the hive-bees were searching "eager- 

 ly for the minute drops on the glands of the leaves of the Pritnus 

 la^irorerasiis," the honey flow must have been scarce elsewhere. I 

 have seen bees, in time of a. honey famine search the most unlikely 

 places in the hope of getting something to take home. "A drown- 

 ing man will catch at a straw," and a bee on short allowance will 

 search anything and anywhere to keep the cupboard full. 



Some years ago, at Cooma, in a dry season, a bed of turnips, 

 ran to flower. They were sown on a sandy, thirsty soil. For 

 three or four days they were beseiged by bees. Almost suddenly 

 the bees ceased to visit the turnip blooms, although they were 

 still expanding. The cause of their forsaking the turnips became 

 evident. About one-third of a mile away, on the banks of a creek, 

 a small paddock of lucerne had flowered, and the bees were be- 

 stowing their attention on it, because it was yielding a greater 

 supply of food. Their harvest fi'oni the lucerne lasted but a day 

 or so. The scythe stopped the honey flow, and the bees returned 

 to the turnips. Was it the dark-blue flower of the lucerne that 

 caused the bees to forsake the creamy yellow flower of the turnip, 

 or the supenor quantity of honey contained in the lucerne ? Un- 

 doubtedly the latter. The whole family of trefoils are well knowMi 

 to be great lionev-producers. 



Whatever may have been the reason for plants to have brightly- 

 coloured flowers, and to be otherwise decorated so as to attract 

 insects to aid in the work of the development of the vegetable 

 world in past ages, it is evident in these latter times the bees at 

 least have been sufficiently educated to go without leading strings, 

 and have kicked over the traces, and now work according to their 

 own sweet will, or a Higher One. 



Darwin himself is not quite sure that the colours and markings 

 of flowers in every case are for the sole purpose of attracting bees> 



