14 PLANT LIFE. 



one can scarcely escape the conclusion that generations 

 of Bumbles have in some way pressed the foxglove 

 flower out into its present form. 



Wasps are very fond of the Figwort {^Scrophularia 

 nodosa) ; they also visit the Common heather, the Snow- 

 berry, the Barberry, and Cow Parsnip {Heracleum spondy- 

 liuni). They are amongst the most industrious workers 

 of the insect world. One was observed to work from four 

 in the morning till 7.46 p.m. without a rest. Bees also, 

 when in full work, will visit twenty flowers in a minute, 

 and hence it is not surprising to find so many flowers 

 specially intended for bees and wasps, even though 

 these large and brightly coloured petals must involve 

 the plant in a great expense of material. 



Ordinary small yellow and white flowers such as 

 Buttercups and Umbelliferae, where honey and pollen is 

 in no way hidden, seem to be visited by almost every 

 sort of insect, and especially by beetles and small flies 

 (such as Anthomyia), though even the hive bee occa- 

 sionally gathers pollen from them. Anyone who wishes 

 to realise the abundance of such insect visitors, should 

 choose the morning of a fine sunny day and watch, for 

 instance, a patch of any large St. John's Wort {^Hyperi- 

 cum perforatum^ etc.) in full bloom. It will be found 

 that besides small flies and beetles, which are the most 

 frequent visitors, hive and humble bees are by no means 

 rare. There will be also a large number of what one 

 might call the intermediate classes. The most remark- 

 able will probably be the Syrphidae or Hoverflies with 

 yellow bands on the body and a peculiar flight ; they 

 remain poised for a few seconds in one place like 

 sparrow-hawks and then swoop rapidly away to a new 

 position, so quickly indeed that the eye can scarcely 

 follow their course. Other flies in which a long sucking 



