THE FLOWER. 29 



tive to rain in the Foxglove order, in Fumitories, and in 

 the Potato order, where it is usually well sheltered. 



When examining any flower, it is always advisable 

 to observe very carefully the unopened buds. They 

 teach the meaning of many details of the sepals, which, 

 otherwise, are apt to pass unnoticed. Amongst other 

 modifications, hairs are very often found ; sometimes 

 the sepals overlap one another or they may have thick, 

 gummy extremities which meet at the tip. In some 

 cases they fit inside one another. 



The following are specially interesting examples : 

 (i) The little hairy thickets formed by the young 

 flowers of the Thyme, (2) the Common Buttercup, (3) 

 the Poppy, and (4) the Rock Rose, in which last the 

 sepals are of different sizes. The (5) tips of Bramble 

 sepals also, which are thin and long, twist round one 

 another. 



In these flower-buds it is not possible to draw any 

 definite line between arrangements to guard against 

 weather, and those which protect against destructive 

 insects, or against those unnecessary and useless forms 

 which steal honey. The Black Burdock, Corn Blue-bottle 

 {Centaureas), etc., have their flowers collected into heads, 

 protected by scales which overlap one another and 

 form an outer palisade or wall. The tip of each of 

 these scales has a fringe of stiff hairs, and these hairs 

 form a sufficient entanglement to keep off any honey 

 stealers. Sticky glandular hairs, such as those on the 

 Wild Rose, or on some Saxifrages, can be clearly seen to 

 catch small prowling insects. 



The red tips of Daisies, and the black or reddish 

 points often found on the sepals or involucre scales of 

 Composites, are supposed to absorb the light, and thus 

 to afford warmth to the flowers within. These black 



