no THE EVOLUTIONIST AT LARGE. 



Insects, however, differ much from one 

 another in their aesthetic tastes, and flowers 

 are adapted accordingly to the varying fancies 

 of the different kinds. Here, for example, 

 is a spray of common white galium, which 

 attracts and is fertilised by small flies, who 

 generally frequent white blossoms. But here, 

 again, not far off, I find a luxuriant mass of 

 the yellow species, known by the quaint 

 name of ' lady's bedstraw ' a legacy from the 

 old legend which represents it as having 

 formed Our Lady's bed in the manger at 

 Bethlehem. Now why has this kind of 

 galium yellow flowers, while its near kinsman 

 yonder has them snowy white ? The reason 

 is that lady's bedstraw is fertilised by small 

 beetles ; and beetles are known to be one 

 among the most colour-loving races of insects. 

 You may often find one of their number, the 

 lovely bronze and golden-mailed rose-chafer, 

 buried deeply in the very centre of a red 

 garden rose, and reeling about when touched 

 as if drunk with pollen and honey. Almost 



