AUTUMN FLOWERS, SQUIRRELS. 247 



teresting subjects of our floral world. How the blos- 

 som is fertilized, whether it depends entirely upon 

 itself or upon insects for the proper disposition of its 

 pollen, is a question which has never been satisfac- 

 torily answered. But a casual glance at the flower 

 persuades us to believe that it takes care of itself. 

 If we doubt its conservative character, let us try to 

 force our way to the stamens and learn how difficult 

 the task is, for the corolla must be torn to pieces to 

 do so. Yet the bumblebee finds a way in. This 

 persistent little plunderer will take a flower by storm- 

 ing the citadel if necessary ! Mr. Clarence M. "Weed 

 has witnessed the struggle, and I quote what he says : 

 ""With some difficulty it thrust its tongue through 

 the valves of the nearest blossom ; then it pushed in 

 its head and body until only the hind legs and the 

 tip of the abdomen were sticking out. In this posi- 

 tion it made the circuit of the blossom and then 

 emerged, resting a moment to brush the pollen from 

 its head and thorax into the pollen baskets before 

 flying to a neighboring aster." Gray has also said 

 that he has seen the bumblebee force its way into a 

 closed gentian, but during a number of seasons 1 have 

 watched in vain to catch the robber in the act. 



Still another beautiful blue flower we will find 

 common in the Northwest ; this is Gentiana pube- 

 rula, whose color is equal to the azure-violet of the 



