LIFE HISTORIES OF FAMILIAR PLANTS 



some crimson filaments protruding from its apex 

 (two examples can be seen in Fig. 34, Plate 23), 

 and it is these buds which contain the female 

 flowers, together with the future hazel-nuts. 

 These female blossoms are crowded together 

 within the bud-like catkin, a scale placed be- 

 tween each two of the tiny ovaries, the outer 

 scales of the catkin being empty. From the sum- 

 mit of each ovary spring two crimson stigmas, 

 each pair, therefore, representing one female flower 

 within. The female catkin, then, like the larger 

 male catkins, contains numerous flowers. 



Now, having mastered the technicalities of 

 structural detail, we may proceed to discover why 

 the hazel has developed these curious catkins of 

 colourless, insignificant-looking flowers ; and also 

 why the females and males need different forms of 

 catkin. There are, I think, although probably all 

 botanists wfll not agree with me, good reasons for 

 thinking that these catkins of the woodland trees 

 were at one time more handsome flowers, and 

 that their remote ancestors may have wooed in- 

 sects with attractive colours and sweet nectar. 

 All that, however, has passed away ; they can now 

 afford to ignore the services of their insect allies. 



Sometimes a clumsy bee is seen struggling with 

 one of these catkins, because it has discovered that 

 it can make use of the pollen, which so early in 

 the year is valuable : but no nectar is provided, 

 and to climb a dangling catkin is anything but 

 comfortable ; therefore, when better and more 

 profitable flowers begin to appear, catkins are left 



50 



