320 The Romance of Wild Flowers 
out into a kind of spur which curves towards the 
petals, and upon the attempt of an insect to get at 
7 the honey in the grooves of 
the petals one or other of 
these processes must be 
touched, with the result of 
shaking out some pollen 
from the anther, “The 
stigma hangs below the 
anthers, and from the 
closeness of these to the 
style, the pollen would fall 
} PRN OIEe upon the stigma if they 
opened fully along the side. If cross-fertilisation 
has not taken place through insect-agency, the 
terminal pores open more widely and let the pollen 
fall upon the stigma. Hive-bees, who are astir 
on sunny days even in winter, are attentive to 
the Snowdrop, alighting on the sepals and crawling 
thence to the petals, putting their heads over the 
edge among anthers and stigma, the 
latter organ being first touched, and EA 
the bee’s head soon afterwards dusted 
with pollen wherewith to fertilise 
other Snowdrops. The hanging posi- \ 
tion effectually protects the honey 
from deterioration by rain or snow, 
and the bees are notified of the good 
cheer awaiting them by a delicate per- 
fume. Six hours a day are considered by 
the Snowdrop to be a sufficiently long 
working day for the bees in winter, so like a Govern- 
ment office it does not open its doors until 10 a.m., 
Section of Snowdrop | 
