FLOWERS 



39 



Head of the bumblebee; 

 a, antenna; g, tongue 

 used in licking the 

 nectar from flowers; 

 m, maxillae. 



sugary solution that is formed in the flower by little collections of 

 cells called the nectar glands. The nectar glands are usually so 

 placed that to get to them the insect must 

 first brush the stamens and pistil of the 

 flower. Frequently the location of the necta- 

 ries (nectar glands) is made conspicuous by 

 brightly colored markings on the corolla of 

 the flower. The row of dots seen in the tiger 

 lily is an example. You may easily find other 

 instances of nectar guides, as they are called. 

 Look for them in any of the common fall 

 flowers. 



Mouth Parts of the Bee. — The mouth of the bee is 

 adapted to take in the foods we have mentioned, 

 and is used for many other purposes for which a 

 more highly developed animal, man, would use the 

 hands and fingers. The honeybee laps or sucks nec- 

 tar from flowers, it chews the pollen, and it uses 

 part of the mouth as a trowel in making the honey- 

 comb. A glance at the figure shows us that the 

 mouth parts of the bee are complex. The parts con- 

 sist of a pair of very small jaws or mandibles, certain other structures, 

 maxillae, part of the lower lip called the labial palps, and a long tonguelike 

 structure called the ligula. Watch a bee on a flower. Try to make out 

 what parts of the mouth are used in taking nectar and in gathering pollen. 

 Make a drawing of the bumblebee, twice natural size, showing as many 

 of the structures we have just described as possible. Label the parts care- 

 fully and put it in your note- 

 book. It will be interesting 

 to compare this drawing with 

 the drawings you make later 

 in the year when you study 

 other insects. You will be 

 surprised to find how much 

 you improve in drawing. 



Other Insect Visitors. — ■ 

 Other insects besides the 

 bee are pollen carriers for 

 flowers. Among the most 

 useful are moths and but- 

 terflies. Both of these 

 insects feed only on nectar, which they suck through a long tube- 

 like proboscis. The heads and bodies of these insects are more 



Swallowtail butterfly pollinating clover. Cross polli- 

 nation of clover is usually effected by bumblebees. 



Photograph by Davison. 



