198 STUDY OF COMMON PLANTS. 



VII. Construct a diagram of the flower. In what 

 respects does the pansy differ from a "typical flower," 

 as described by Gray, Lessons, pp. 81, 82 ? 



VIII. Write a full description of the pansy. 



NOTE. It is hardly necessary at this stage of the student's progress 

 to remind him that a description of such a flower involves much more 

 than an enumeration of the parts of each whorl, with an account of 

 their surface, outline, etc. An appreciation of the marvelous beauty and 

 exquisite adaptations here displayed, and a scientific temper that seeks 

 to know how all this has come to be as it is, will hardly be satisfied with 

 mechanically filling the blanks of some "plant analysis." Write as 

 though your account were to stand as the only written description of 

 the result of a long series of natural experiments, of which we now see 

 the culmination in a perfect piece of mechanism. 



IX. Consult the references already given and those 

 named under " Special Studies " below. 



RELATIONSHIP. 



As the flowers of various indigenous species appear in 

 spring, e.g. Viola palmata, L., V. pedata, L., V. pubescens, 

 Ait., etc., compare them with the pansy, and note the char- 

 acters common to them all. If the green violet, Solea con- 

 color, Ging., is to be had, compare this with the true violets. 



Summarize briefly the points in which all these agree. 



SPECIAL STUDIES. 



I. Observation of various insects that visit the pansy. 

 Miiller, Fertilization of Flowers, p. 118, gives an 

 interesting account of the habits of different bees. 

 II. Advantages of crossed over self-fertilized pansies. 

 See Darwin's experiments, Cross- and Self-fertili- 

 zation in the Vegetable Kingdom, pp. 123-128, 286, 

 296, 304. 



