Crocuses 19 



birds sample his fruit, and a host of bees, moths, 

 beetles, and butterflies share his pleasure in his 

 flowers. 



These insect visitors, however, are respectable 

 wage-workers. It would be unjust to call them 

 pensioners of the garden, for the flowers would be 

 as ill off without them as they without the flowers, 

 and next year's borders will be all the brighter 

 and sweeter, thanks to this year's butterflies and 

 bees. 



The few glimpses of sunshine which this March 

 day vouchsafes us have already tempted out an 

 enterprising bee. Her contented droning comes 

 from the cup of an equally enterprising yellow 

 crocus (Fig. i) to her a pavilion of gold wherein 

 is spread a feast of nectar fit for the gods. 



Six yellow leaves, joined at their bases and 

 separate above, form the dainty cup of the crocus- 

 flower. 



Three of these are generally somewhat larger 

 than the rest, and in -the bud they enfolded the 

 smaller trio within them. 



The larger and outer leaves are the " calyx" 

 of the crocus-blossom and the inner and smaller 

 ones are its " corolla." But the calyx now in 

 question is exceptionally big and beautiful. 



