118 JBotani? 



some object of their own in these visitations, which 

 shall infallibly secure their doing of the work re- 

 quired. Finally, let us remember that the pollen of 

 flowers is but seldom spread where it is easy to 

 secure it. The buttercup lavishly expends a golden 

 saucer of pollen ; the lily has a wide-open door, near 

 which hang the anthers, like so many ready bells. 

 On the other hand, how long and narrow are the 

 throats of morning-glories and honeysuckles; how 

 tiny are the tubes of mint, thyme, and clover ; how 

 fast-closed is the mouth of the snaj^dragon ; how 

 narrow the fox-glove's throat. Pollen-carriers must 

 be able to secure the dust so jealously kept, and 

 must be afforded a reward for their trouble. 



What form of animal life meets all these condi- 

 tions ? But one. The insect. The insect is gener- 

 ally light and delicate in structure, active, winged ; 

 its life is conterminous with that of the flowers ; 

 the}^ are spring and summer guests. The slender 

 shape and the long, slim mouth organs of the insect 

 can i^enetrate and gently force open flower tubes 

 and the fast-shut lips of corollas ; the« velvet coats 

 and fine waving antenna3 will receive and carry un- 

 injured the precious dust, and the insect habit of 

 constant roaming from bloom to bloom assures the 

 accomplishment of its important errand. 



Not all insects, but a few widely distributed 



