122 MY STUDIO NEIGHBORS 



down comes the pair of clappers on his back 

 (C). Presently he backs out, bearing a generous 

 dab of yellow pollen, which is further increased 

 from each subsequent flower. He has now fin- 

 ished this cluster, and flies to the next, alight- 

 ing as usual on the lowermost tier of bloom. In 

 them the elongated stigma now hangs directly 

 in his path, and comes in contact with the pollen 

 on his back as the insect sips the nectar. Cross- 

 fertilization is thus insured; and, moreover, cross- 

 fertilization not only from a distinct flower, but 

 from a separate cluster, or even a separate plant. 

 For in these older stigmatic flowers the anther as 

 it comes down upon his back is seen to be with- 

 ered, having shed its pollen several days since, the 

 supply of pollen on the bee's body being suffi- 

 cient to fertilize all the stigmas in the cluster, 

 until a new supply is obtained from the pollen- 

 bearing blossoms above. And thus he continues 

 his rounds. 



The sage is a representative of the large botan- 

 ical order known as the* Mint family, the labiates, 

 or gaping two -lipped flowers, the arched hood 

 here answering to the upper lip, the spreading 

 base forming the lower lip, which is usually de- 

 signed as a convenient threshold for the insects 

 while sipping the nectar deep within the tube. 



