Violets and Pansies 97 
of honey there can be no doubt, for they only occur 
in flowers that are specially adapted for insect- 
fertilisation. Another point worth noting is that in 
regular flowers, like Pinks and Wood Sorrel, these 
guides appear on all the petals, but in irregular 
flowers they will be found only on the platform petal, 
and perhaps on the one at each side of it, as in the 
Pansy. 
The stamens are irregular to this extent, that two of 
them are prolonged backwards into honey-producing 
spurs and le within the hollow spur of the large 
petal. The entire five le around the pistil, and 
the anthers are so broad that their edges fit closely 
together, whilst at their tips are broad expansions 
which are pressed against the curved style. They 
open on their inner faces, and discharge their pollen 
into the chamber formed by the contact of their 
edges. ‘This pollen differs from that produced by 
the majority of entomophilous flowers in the fact 
that it is dry instead of being sticky. Owing to the 
manner in which the Violet-flower is hung on its 
stalk, the enlarged head of the style hangs down 
with the stigmatic surface below, so that if a bee 
alighted upon the broad petal and followed the 
guide-lines towards the honey, its head would come 
in collision with the stigma, and any pollen it might 
have upon its face would adhere to the stigma. 
It may be objected that a bee’s face is not the 
usual place to find pollen-grains, but if it had 
previously visited Violets it would be so adorned. 
Take a Violet and a bristle or fine grass-bent; hold 
the Violet in the natural position, and pass the 
bristle inside the spur, moving it as the tongue of a 
