THE WELCOME OF THE FLOWERS 



365 



to the great Composite order. " The young capitula of these Composites," 

 says the eminent naturalist, " are particularly liable to the attacks of 

 devouring beetles, especially of Oxythyrea funesta, which bites big holes 

 in the heads, destroying crowded flower-buds and involucral scales without 

 the least difficulty. 

 To meet this danger 

 a garrison of war- 

 like 'ants is em- 

 ployed. Honey is 

 secreted from big 

 stomata on the im- 

 bricating scales of 

 the stijll-close d 

 capitula in such 

 quantities that one 

 can see a drop of it 

 on every scale in the 

 early morning, while 

 later in the day, as 

 the water evapor- 

 ates, little masses or 

 even crystals of 

 sugar are to be 

 found. This sugar, 

 either in its liquid 

 or solid form, is very 

 palatable to the ants, 

 which habitually re- 

 sort to these capitu- 

 la during the period 

 of its secretion, and 

 to preserve it for 

 themselves they re- 

 seiit any invasion 

 from outside. If one 

 of the afore-men- 

 tioned beetles ap- 

 pears, they assume 

 a menacing attitude. 

 They hold on to the involucral scales with their last pair of legs and 

 present their forelegs, abdomen, and powerful jaws to the enemy. Thus 

 they remain till the beetle withdraws, if necessary hastening its retreat 

 by squirting formic acid in its direction." 



It has been remarked that wingless insects are most active when the dew 



S$S&* 



- . *, 



to by] [E. Step 



FIG. 447. MARSH LOUSEWOR'P (Pedicularis palustris). 



Parasitic upon the roots of other plants. It has a dull pink corolla and a 

 reddish -green calyx. 



