12 BRITISH BEES. 



supposed, the colour of flowers chiefly effects by being 

 visible from a distance. Flowers,, within themselves, in- 

 dicate to the bees visiting them the presence of nectaria 

 by spots coloured differently from their petals. This 

 nectar, converted by bees into honey, is secreted by 

 glands or glandulous surfaces, seated upon the organs 

 of fructification ; and nature has also furnished means 

 to protect these depositories of honey for the bees, from 

 the intrusive action of the rain, which might wash the 

 sweet secretion away. To this end it has clothed the 

 corollse with a surface of minute hairs, which effectually 

 secures them from its obtrusive action, and thus displays 

 the importance it attaches to the co-operation of the 

 bees. That bees should vary considerably in size, is a 

 further accommodation of nature to promote the ferti- 

 lization of flowers, which, in some cases, small insects 

 could not accomplish. Many plants could not be per- 

 petuated, but for the agency of insects, and especially 

 of bees ; and it is remarkable that it is chiefly those 

 which require the aid of this intervention that have a 

 nectarium, and secrete honey. By thus seeking the 

 honey, and obtaining it in a variety of ways, bees accom- 

 plish this great object of nature. It often, also, happens 

 that flowers which even contain within themselves the 

 means of ready fructification cannot derive it from the 

 pollen of their own anthers, but require that the pollen 

 should be conveyed to them from the anthers of younger 

 flowers ; in some cases the reverse takes place, as for 

 instance, in the Euphorbia Cyparissias, wherein it is 

 the pollen of the older flower which, through the same 

 agency, fertilizes the younger. Although many flowers 

 are night-flowers, yet the very large majority expand 

 during the day ; but to meet the requirements of those 



