in.] THE FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS. 39 



sively. He says : " That bees are attracted by, and 

 can distinguish, colours was no doubt a just inference 

 from the observations on their relations to flowers ; 

 but I arn not cognisant of any direct evidence on the 

 subject. I thought it, therefore, worth while to make 

 some experiments ; and a selection from them will 

 be recorded in the forthcoming volume of 'Journal 

 of the Linnean Society.' I placed slips of glass 

 with honey on paper of various colours, accustoming 

 different bees to visit special colours, and when they 

 had made a few visits to honey on paper of a par- 

 ticular colour, I found that if the papers were trans- 

 posed the bees followed the colours." * 



If bees in a garden are watched, they will be seen 

 to confine their attention to one particular species, 

 though they have been observed to be incapable of 

 distinguishing between certain closely-related species, 

 though this may indicate that they are not true species, 

 but only varieties. 



Most flowers which have an irregular corolla that 

 is, with the petals unequal in size and form are, 

 according to Mr. Darwin, insect-fertilised; and he 

 says it is very probable that those species which are 

 habitually self-fertilised receive fresh vigour from an 

 occasional cross. Sir John Lubbock, in his charming 

 book, has entered fully into the question as affecting 

 our native wild plants, and has given examples from 

 most of the natural orders and families. It is impos- 

 sible in the small space at present at our disposal to 

 do more than give a few of the most striking illustra- 

 tions. Why should the bees and other insects go to 



* Wild Flowers in Relation to Insects, p. 12. 



