INSECTS AND FLOWERS 199 



to its blossoms, it repels the visits of creeping 

 insects, like ants, incapable of fertilizing the 

 flowers, by the hairy and viscid nature of its 

 stem. The flower of the Nottingham Catchfly 

 lasts-three nights. On the first night it opens at 

 dusk, becomes very fragrant, and fully expands 

 its petals, which spread out like rays and bend 

 somewhat backwards, while five of its ten 

 anthers burst and expose their pollen, and 

 remain in that state the whole night. With the 

 approach of morning the sweet scent decreases 

 in volume, the petals shrivel and roll up, the 

 stamens bend back and the anthers fall off. 

 Throughout the day the flower looks withered, 

 but revives with the approach of evening. The 

 flower again expands, emits its sweet scent, and 

 the second series of five anthers opens. With 

 the approach of dawn, it again loses its scent, 

 and again closes. On the third evening it opens 

 as before, but the long velvety S-shaped stigmas, 

 which until then have been hidden within the 

 flower, are now pushed out and occupy the 

 position which had been filled by the anthers 

 on the two previous nights. The flower is 

 frequented nightly by numerous moths chiefly 

 belonging to the genus Dianthoecia, which are 

 attracted to suck the honey, and the female 

 moths also lay their eggs in the flower. We 

 have here one of the many curious and interest- 

 ing instances of flowers providing temporary 

 shelter and nourishment in return for a reciprocal 

 service. In the case of the Nottingham Catchfly, 

 the Bladder-campion, and the Ragged Robin, 

 the visiting female moths deposit their eggs 



