BEES DO THEIR WORK 337 



that which leads the human plant experimenter 

 to cross-pollenize his flowers. 



One might even be excused a momentary half- 

 conviction in a certain direction that the insect 

 must be endowed with intelligence almost of the 

 human order. 



PLANT INTELLIGENCE 



Such a thought is dispelled, however, when we 

 reflect on the seeming intelligence of plants them- 

 selves and the apparently well-reasoned schemes 

 by which certain flowers insure the taking of 

 effective toll of the insects attracted by the nectar. 



Even in the case of the yucca, it will be ob- 

 served that the plant was not quite a passive part- 

 ner in the arrangement through which the per- 

 petuation of its kind was assured. The pistil of 

 the flower had gradually been depressed below 

 the pollen-bearing anthers, in full confidence 

 that the moth would carry out its share of the 

 mutual compact. And when we reflect that this 

 conformation of stamens and pistil was doubtless 

 modified from an earlier arrangement less advan- 

 tageous to the plant, we are confronted with 

 evidence of a seemingly intelligent capacity to 

 adapt its structure to its needs on the part of the 

 plant that to some extent matches the apparent 

 intelligence of the insect. 



