88 TALKS AFIELD. 



are nowhere in nature such examples of re- 

 ciprocal benefits as in the relations of flowers 

 to insects and insects to flowers. The flower 

 attracts the insect by showy colors or by 

 perfume, and gives it nectar or pollen for 

 the aid it renders in cross-fertilization. At- 

 tractive petals and perfumes are the flower's 

 advertisements to insects. If they are re- 

 moved the insect visits are suspended, and 

 the plant suffers in the production of seeds. 

 If this strict utilitarian view strips some of 

 the poetry from flowers, it nevertheless adds 

 a sublimer sentiment which overlooks a sim- 

 ple adaptation to please the senses of man, 

 and places the beauty of flowers upon the 

 plane of definite plan and purpose which 

 have been slowly evolved through the ages. 

 It represents a beautiful natural adaptation 

 and a sublime creation. 



Scarcely two species of entomophilous 

 flowers have the same contrivances to insure 

 cross-fertilization. One of the commonest 

 modifications of the flower towards this end 

 is dichogamy^ or the maturing of the anthers 

 and stigmas at different times. Flowers 

 whose anthers develop first are said to be 

 proterandrous^ and those whose stigmas de- 

 velop first are proterogynoua. An exami- 



