PLANTS AND ANIMALS. 147 



one who has a conservatory in other countries. 

 Without some particular insect the plant flowers 

 over and over again without producing a single 

 perfect seed, and as this agent does not exist away 

 from its native habitat the plant remains barren. 



That there should be such a nice arrangement 

 seems more than mere coincidence, and even shows 

 design in the plant rather than the animal. We 

 may perhaps say that the insect fixes its dinner- 

 hour at the time when its food is ready, but in the 

 cases of many perfect insects their life is so short 

 that preparation would have to be made in the 

 pupal stage. It is therefore easier to suppose that 

 the first choice was made by the plant. The 

 interdependence is, however, so very close that it 

 is just as hard to decide in favour of one as of 

 the other. 



The shapes of flowers, like their perfumes and 

 colours, also show wonderful adaptations of means 

 to a particular end. The great tubular flowers are 

 just deep enough to allow the long proboscis of 

 the humble bee or moth to explore their depths. 

 Again, we are met with the question, was the con- 

 trivance of the flower or the bee adopted first? 

 We can conceive that in some past age this deep 

 funnel was but shallow ; probably made up of fine 

 separate petals and as wide open as a buttercup. 



