HYMENOPTERA. llh 



Mliller,^ Darwin,^ and Lubbock,^ without being im- 

 pressed by the wonderful part played by these ani- 

 mals in the evolution of the flora now existing upon 

 the surface of the dry land. 



Henslow's views represent more nearly those given 

 in this Guide, and his interesting speculations upon 

 the development of the complicated modifications of 

 flowers which are dependent upon insects for fertili- 

 zation should be carefully read by all who desire to go 

 beyond the superficial views of most Darwinists. It 

 is very important that teachers should be cautious in 

 allowing themselves the free use of explanations which 

 the doctrine of Natural Selection seems to furnish. 

 The danger lies in the fascination of the logical form 

 presented by this doctrine, the ease with which it 

 seems to explain even the most complicated relations 

 of organic beings, and the general although unfounded 

 belief that it is universally accepted and believed in 

 by naturalists. They will find, if they read the works 

 of Packard, Riley, Cope, Ryder, one of the authors of 

 this Guide, and other naturalists, that this doctrine is 

 not used by any investigators in accounting for the 

 origin of structures and their modifications, and only 

 to a limited extent by those quoted above and others 

 of the same school, in explaining the preservation of 



1 Fertilization of Flowers. English translation. London. 



'■^ On the Various Contrivances by ivhich British and Foreign 

 Orchids are Fertilized by Insects, '1862; Different Forms of 

 Flozvers. 1880. 



'^British Wild-Floivers in Relation to Insects. 1875; Ants, 

 Bees, and Wasps, Chap. X. 



