Flowers. 



199 



the stamens (see Fig. 118) and thrusts a slender ovipositor 

 through the wall of the ovary and into the cavity occupied 

 by the ovules. 



Having deposited 

 an egg, it ascends the 

 pistil, and by means 

 of the maxillary ten- 

 tacles and tongue, 

 which at other times 

 are coiled around the 

 load of pollen, as seen 



in Fig. 117, it rubs ^ FlG Ii? 



pollen down the inner jPktf Photomicrograph of the head 



surface of the stip-- * and fore part of the body of 



g FIG 116 a Pronuba moth, showing the 



matic tube. Figure p ronu bamoth g ath- tongue and maxillary tentacles 



119 is a flashlight ering pollen. | k e U netth thT?id f P x6 n 



photograph of a moth 



performing this act. The moth then descends the pistil, and 



standing between another 

 pair of stamens it deposits 

 another egg within the 

 ovary ; then it ascends the 

 pistil and rubs pollen on 

 the stigmatic surface as be- 

 fore. This process is re- 

 peated until it may be that 

 each of the six lines of 

 ovules is provided with an 

 egg, and the process of pol- 

 lination has been as many 

 FlG - II8 - times accomplished. 



Pronuba moth depositing its eggs in the The f u \\ meaning of this 



ovary of a yucca flower. Flashlight 

 photograph taken about 8.30 P.M. WOndertul SCriCS OI Opera- 



