INTRODUCTION 11 



The simile is not merely superficial, and we will 

 trace the resemblance deeper. The flowers are the 

 shop-keepers who deal in nectar and in pollen, and 

 these they advertise in gaudy, flaming placards 

 about their entrances blotches and streaks of vivid 

 colour honey guides, we call them which are 

 veritable posters to attract the eye from afar. Then, 

 to greet the coming purchaser, they put forth easy 

 landing-stages, for their guests are living aeroplanes 

 who must furl their wings before entering. Then, 

 too, the merchandise must be kept away from dew 

 and rain, so the flowers set up ingenious rain shelters 

 of varied form. Lastly, there must be protection 

 against unwelcome insects, veritable shop-lifters, 

 and for these the flowers provide bristles, traps, 

 and devices which make theft almost out of the 

 question. The flowers are so astute in their com- 

 petition for trade, so cunning in their ways of win- 

 ning it, so like clever tradesmen, in fact, that we 

 find much of human interest in watching their trade 

 competition, and thus discover a new bond of sym- 

 pathy between their little lives and ours. 



We who live close to nature and love the plants 

 of the garden and the wild wood, discover that they 

 are living beings like ourselves, whose lives are 

 shaped by the same great laws. 



They first strive to live their own lives by seeking 



