Magenta to Pink 



perfected their mechanism in every part until no member of the 

 family even attempts to fertilize itself ; hence their triumphal, 

 vigorous march around the earth, the tribe numbering over nine- 

 teen hundred species located chiefly in those tropical and warm, 

 temperate regions that teem with insect life. 



Commonest of all with us is this rank weed, which possesses 

 the dignity of a rubber plant. Much more attractive to human 

 eyes, at least, than the dull, pale, brownish-pink umbels of 

 flowers are its exquisite silky seed-tufts. But not so with insects. 

 Knowing that the slightly fragrant blossoms are rich in nectar, 

 bees, wasps, flies, beetles, and butterflies come to feast. Now, 

 the visitor finding his alighting place slippery, his feet claw about 

 in all directions to secure a hold, just as it was planned they 

 should ; for in his struggles some of his feet must get caught in 

 the fine little clefts at the base of the flower. His efforts to extri- 

 cate his foot only draw it into a slot at the end of which lies a 

 little dark-brown body. In a newly opened flower five of these 

 little bodies may be seen between the horns of the crown, at 

 equal distances around it. This tiny brown excrescence is hard 

 and horny, with a notch in its face. It is continuous with and 

 forms the end of the slot in which the visitor's foot is caught. 

 Into this he must draw his foot or claw, and finding it rather 

 tightly held, must give a vigorous jerk to get it free. Attached 

 to either side of the little horny piece is a flattened yellow pollen- 

 mass, and so away he flies with a pair of these pollinia, that look 

 like tiny saddle-bags, dangling from his feet. One might think 

 that such rough handling as many insects must submit to from 

 flowers would discourage them from making any more visits ; 

 but the desire for food is a mighty passion. While the insect is 

 flying off to another blossom, the stalk to which the saddle-bags 

 are attached twists until it brings them together, that, when his 

 feet get caught in other slots, they may be in the position to get 

 broken off in his struggles for freedom precisely where they will 

 fertilize the stigmatic chambers. Now the visitor flies away 

 with the stalks alone sticking to his claws. Bumblebees and 

 hive-bees have been caught with a dozen pollen-masses dangling 

 from a single foot. Outrageous imposition ! 



Does this wonderful mechanism always work to perfection ? 

 Alas! no. It is a common thing to find dead hive-bees and flies 

 hanging from the flowers. While still struggling to escape, the 

 unhappy victims will be attacked by ants, "beetles, and spiders, 

 or killed by heavy showers. Larger and stronger insects than 

 honey-bees are required to regularly effect pollination and free 

 themselves, especially when they are so unfortunate as to catch 

 several feet in the grooves. Doubtless it is the bumblebee that 

 can transfer pollen with impunity ; but very many other insects, 

 not perfectly adapted to the flowers, occasionally benefit them. 

 Among the large butterflies the Papilios, which suck with their 



136 



