LIFE-HISTORY OF THE HERB ROBERT 119 
only a very small insect that could possibly creep 
into it and steal, without paying for its food by 
effecting pollination. 
There is, however, a tiny little garden pest, like 
a snippet of black thread about one-twelfth of an inch 
in length, whose name is Thrips, and I have found 
it inside the flower, apparently chewing away at the 
pollen grains. (See Fig. 47, Plate IV., p. 108.) 
It is really a very pretty little thing, with four 
beautiful wings and marvellous feet, although we 
must not allow them to run away with us now. 
We should notice, as a guard against unwelcome 
intruders, the glandular hairs upon the calyx. I 
have not the smallest doubt that they are protective 
and prevent small creeping beasts from reaching the 
flower and nibbling at its vital organs or its pollen 
grains, without doing any service to the plant by way 
of payment for its meal. I have frequently seen tiny 
creatures sticking to these hairs, which of course 
are no protection against a flying Thrips that is 
wise’ enough to alight in the centre of the blossom 
instead of on the death-trap underneath. 
We must now pass on to the story of the seeds. 
The illustration shows us a ripe and an unripe fruit, 
and it also gives us the not very obvious origin of one 
of the names of the plant, ‘‘ Knife and Fork,” from 
flower and fruit being borne in a pair. On the other 
hand, the appropriateness of the name Cranesbill 
is quite clear. It is worth a passing mention that for 
most of its length the bill is without the long pro- 
tective hairs, and despite the presence of a few very 
small glandular ones, too short to act as a deterrent, it 
is not at all uncommon to find green fly comfortably 
established there, whereas they are not able to settle 
