56 THE FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS. [CHAP. 



is the stigma, beneath which is AN, the anther. LP 

 is the large perianth segment, and SP the smaller. 

 A bee visiting one of these flowers would alight on 

 the platform LP, and insert its proboscis down the 

 nectary (NEC, fig. 70), where the honey is secreted. 

 In doing this its head would come in contact with 

 the anther AN, and dislodge some of the pollen, 

 which would probably be deposited on the stigma of 

 another flower. From the position of the anthers 

 self-fertilisation is improbable. 



We are tempted in writing of these wonderful con- 

 trivances to multiply examples to a greater extent, 

 for where all is so full of interest the difficulty is what 

 to select. But for the present we must content our- 

 selves with the meagre selection already given, in the 

 hope that our readers will seek out from Nature other 

 examples for themselves. The smallest garden, or 

 even the few plants on a town window-sill, will 

 furnish examples, and there is this advantage about 

 the study there is the probability of discovering 

 some new facts concerning fertilisation, for until 

 recently no attention has been paid to the subject. 

 Yet now that Mr. Darwin, followed by other able 

 scientists, has called attention to it, facts which pre- 

 viously we could not understand (or if we did under- 

 stand some of them it was but imperfectly), seem 

 perfectly easy of comprehension. We now know why 

 the Evening Primrose is only fragrant at night, and 

 why the White Campion only opens its beautiful 

 flowers at the same period. Because they are depen- 

 dent upon the moths for fertilisation, therefore, it 

 would not be any advantage, but rather a loss, to 



