CUCKOO-PINT. 85 



i 



long to describe here in full. The flies go 

 from one arum to another, attracted by the 

 colour, in search of pollen ; and the pistils, or 

 female flowers, ripen first. Then the pollen 

 falls from the stamens or male flowers on the 

 bodies of the flies, and dusts them all over 

 with yellow powder. The insects, when 

 once they have entered, are imprisoned until 

 the pollen is ready to drop, by means of 

 several little hairs, pointing downwards, and 

 preventing their exit on the principle of an 

 eel-trap or lobster-pot. But as soon as the 

 pollen is discharged the hairs wither away, 

 and then the flies are free to visit a second 

 arum. Here they carry the fertilising dust 

 with which they are covered to the ripe pistils, 

 and so enable them to set their seed ; but, 

 instead of getting away again as soon as they 

 have eaten their fill, they are once more im- 

 prisoned by the lobster-pot hairs, and dusted 

 with a second dose of pollen, which they carry 

 away in turn to a third blossom. 



As soon as the pistils have been impreg- 



