THE WILD CAMOMILE 



insects, or before insects had become so numerous 

 or so varied as in the present day, were often 

 cross-poUinated by the wind blowing the pollen 

 from the stamens of neighbouring flowers to the 

 stigmas, or sensitive surfaces, of the ovaries. As 

 will be shown in a future chapter, many plants 

 still carry on this primitive method of pollination 

 by the wind, and such plants have acquired the 

 habit of producing vast quantities of pollen as a 

 means of insuring the stigma being reached by 

 some of it. 



And, as time went on, insects discovered that 

 this pollen so abundantly produced was a very 

 nutritious substance, and consequently developed 

 the habit of eating it ; and in travelling from plant 

 to plant in search of it, they often cross-pollinated 

 flowers by conveying pollen (which adhered to 

 their hairy legs and bodies) from flowers they had 

 previously visited. This considerably benefited 

 the plants so visited, as it insured cross-fertilis- 

 ation, and although quantities of pollen were lost 

 through being consumed by the insects, yet the 

 net gain to the plant was considerable, as a little 

 pollen conveyed by insects pollmated more 

 stigmas than when the wind was the sole agent of 

 distribution ; at the same time the work was done 

 more surely. 



Consequently, in the course of time a smaller 

 quantity of pollen would be provided by such 

 plants. Then insects would gradually cease visit- 

 ing flowers where they were not well fed, and 

 thereupon a new attraction appeared, one less costly 



7 



