136 PKEADAMITE MAN. 



explanation is obvious and the correlation is immediate. Less 

 obvious, because more extended through a mediate correlation, 

 is the dependence of clover and heartsease upon cats. As to 

 heartsease, it should have seemed that cats would tend to the 

 destruction of the species, judging from what we see of feline 

 operations in a garden. To discover the conservative influence 

 of toms and tabbies, one must consult the pages of Mr. Dar- 

 win's book. It comes in this wise : neither clover nor hearts- 

 ease can be impregnated fertilised as it seems, except 

 through the intervention of some agency external to them- 

 selves ; the shape and disposition of the pistils and stamens 

 precludes this ; wherefore the device of fertilisation through 

 the trailing of pollen by insect feet has been adopted by Na- 

 ture. But insects cannot be assumed to have the fertilisation 

 of a flower present to their imagination if imagination they 

 possess ; they are purely mercenary in their doings labouring 

 for reward. They alight on flowers in quest of honey ; and 

 now mark the correlation. The humble bee, it seems, is the 

 only insect whose proboscis is long enough to get at the deep- 

 seated honey of clover and heartsease flowers ; wherefore the 

 more numerous humble bees, the more fertile heartsease and 

 clover. In what manner cats are involved in the correlation 

 does not yet appear, though it presently will, when the fact is 

 stated that amongst the greatest enemies of humble bees are 

 mice. In this way it is easy to trace the correlation between 

 cats and clover. Q.E.D. 



