PLANTS THAT ENTERTAIN 155 



While he is being undeceived, the stigma manages 

 to get from him a sufficient amount of pollen, and 

 the waiting anthers shower him with a fresh 

 supply. 



Among plant-hostesses perhaps none has a more 

 unique guest than the marsh-marigold, often known 

 as the American cowslip. The marsh-marigold is 

 not a true marigold, nor is it a real cowslip; but 

 these are the common names for this early spring 

 flower with its striking yellow varnish and its fat 

 stalk a favourite among the flies and insects. 



Its beauty is unrivalled among the early yellow 

 flowers ; but that is not its only claim to notice. It 

 also entertains. And its guest is a musician ! This 

 mite of a musician is a tiny green frog, which sits 

 on the leaf of the marigold. He is small not 

 more than three-fourths of an inch long but his 

 voice is marvellously shrill. His concert hour is 

 four o'clock in the afternoon. He is not always 

 punctual; but generally at about this hour he may 

 be seen creeping along the leaves of the marigold 

 his name is "Spring-creeper" and occasionally 

 stopping to sing in his high tenor voice, with its 

 shrill tone in E flat of the highest octave on the 

 piano. 



Why the plant entertains this tiny frog, no one 

 knows. Perhaps for the same reason that people 



