32 ON PLANTS AND INSECTS. [LECT. 



they are consequently sweet ; but it might have been 

 otherwise, for flies prefer unpleasant smells, such as those 

 of decaying meat, and other animal substances on which 

 they live as larvae, and some flowers, consequently, 

 which are fertilised by them, are characterised by very 

 evil odours. Colors also are affected in the same 

 manner, for while bee-flowers (if I may coin such an 

 expression) have generally bright, clear colors, fly- 

 flowers are usually reddish or yellowish brown. 



The real use of honey now seems so obvious that it 

 is curious to see the various theories which were once 

 entertained on the subject. Patrick Blair thought that 

 the honey absorbed the pollen, and then fertilised the 

 ovary. Pontedera thought it kept the ovary in a moist 

 condition. Linnseus confessed his inability to solve the 

 question. Other botanists considered that it was useless 

 material thrown off in the process of growth. Krunitz 

 thought he observed that in meadows much visited by 

 bees the plants were more healthy, but the inference he 

 drew was, that the honey, unless removed, was very 

 injurious, and that the bees were of use in .carrying 

 it off. 



Kurr observed that the formation of honey in flowers 

 is intimately associated with the maturity of the stamens 

 and pistil. He lays it down, as a general rule, that it 

 very seldom commences before the opening of the an- 

 thers, is generally most copious during their maturity, 

 and ceases so soon as the stamens begin to wither and 

 the development of the fruit commences. Eothe's 

 observations also led him to a similar conclusion, and 

 yet neither of these botanists perceived the intimate 



