54 



ARTHROPODA 



FIG. 35. Flower with one petal turned down 

 to show the single female organ, the pistil, 

 projecting a quarter of an inch above the 

 several male organs, the stamens. 



Usually blossoms con- 

 tain within the showy 

 colored cup a central 

 pinlike filament, the fe- 

 male organ, or pistil 

 surrounded by several 

 threadlike filaments with 

 elongated heads giving 

 off a fine powder, the 

 male elements called pol- 

 len, which by coming in 

 contact with the pistil 

 causes it to produce 

 seeds and fruit. Ex- 

 periments have shown 

 that when the bees transfer the pollen from one blossom 

 to another more fruit and of much finer quality results 

 than if the pistil is fertilized by the pollen of the same 

 blossom. 



Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus) 



The common bumble bee belongs to a group of social 

 bees dwelling in communities of rather limited numbers. 

 Early in the spring the queen, the only one of the colony 

 living through the winter, constructs waxen ovoidal cells 

 in an abandoned mouse's nest and lays eggs hatching into 

 workers. These like the honey bees are imperfect females 

 and much smaller than the queen who no longer collects 

 food but attends to home duties consisting mostly of egg 

 laying. In July some of the eggs are infertile and there- 



