INGENIOUS CONTRIVANCES 



arborea, and Chimonanthus fragrans. Of wild plants, Chick- 

 weed, Whin or Furze, Lamium purpiireum^ and Dandelion 

 can generally be found in the depth of winter. 



The contrivances which can be found in flowers, and by 

 which the insect is forced to enter exactly along the proper 

 path, are endless. Each flower has some little peculiarity of 

 its own which can only be understood by thoroughly examin- 

 ing the plant itself. It is not therefore possible to do justice 

 to the ingenuity of flowers in a work of this sort. There are 

 orchids which throw their insect visitors into a bath of water, 

 so that they have to crawl with wet wings up a certain path 

 where they touch the pollen masses and stigma; others 

 which hurl their pollen mas'^.es at the visitor. In the Ascle- 

 piads a groove is provided into which the leg of the insect 

 slips, so that it has to struggle to get its foot out, and must 

 carry off* the pollen masses, though it often fails and leaves 

 its leg behind. Some Arums and Aristolochias have large 

 traps in which they imprison the insects, and only let them go 

 when they are sure to be pollen-dusted. In one of these 

 flowers there are transparent spots on the large petal-prison, 

 which so attract the insects that they remain opposite them 

 instead of flying out (just as flies do on a window-pane). 

 Salvia has a stamen which is like a see-saw on a support ; 

 the bee has to lift up one end, which brings the other with 

 its pollen flat down on to its back. The Barberry has a 

 sensitive spot on its stamen ; when the insect touches the 

 spot, the stamen springs up suddenly and showers pollen 

 upon it. In Mimulus the two flaps of the stigma close up as 

 soon as they are touched, which will be when they have 

 scraped off* any pollen; then when the creature withdraws, 

 covered with the flower's own pollen, none of this can be left 

 on its own stigma, as this is shut up. 



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