VERONICA. 85 



with Ruskin. The two stamens and the 

 united petals of the veronica are facts which 

 demand explanation in one way ; the blue 

 colour and the touching prettiness of the 

 same veronica are facts which equally demand 

 explanation in another way : and I for my 

 part can see no reason why the one set of 

 facts should not be just as worthy of scientific 

 examination as the other. 



Luckily for us, we have now at last got a 

 philosophy of life which enables us, as it 

 seems to me, to explain both on very similar 

 principles. The tubular shape of the speed- 

 well's corolla and the irregularity of its 

 stamens, as well as the peculiar one-sidedness 

 of its petals, are all due to the necessities of 

 its fertilisation by insects. In that way, and 

 in no other, it secures the safe deposit of its 

 pollen on the head of the bee or the beetle, 

 and its further safe conveyance to the pistil of 

 some neighbouring blossom. For just the 

 same reason it has bright blue petals to 

 attract the eyes of the insect ; and those petals 



