﻿considerations 



tended in every direction by trained and un- 

 trained workers until the aggregate mass of 

 results is nothing short of colossal. The con- 

 clusions advanced by Sprengel have been ex- 

 tended until effort has been made to show, 

 that not only does the plant use color to at- 

 tract useful insects to flowers, but that it also 

 displays luring areas of color and stores of 

 nectar on distant bracts and stems to lead 

 unwelcome and harmful visitors away from Ecological 

 the neighborhood of the reproductive mem- 

 bers. Still further, many plants are supposed 

 to exhibit colors in mimicry of some danger- 

 ous animal, or which would serve as a signal 

 of warning to the ravaging animal of the 

 presence of weapons or chemicals hurtful to 

 it. In the highly speculative consideration 

 given the subject the general principal has 

 been drawn upon to furnish solutions to com- 

 plicated or unusual arrangements of color, in 

 a manner highly improbable and unscientific, 

 and in many instances verging upon the im- 

 possible and ridiculous. That it can not be 

 assumed a priori that the colors exhibited by 

 the flowers or any other organ of the plant 

 are devices to attract and guide or repel ani- 

 mal visitors is becoming more and more ap- 

 parent. 



Recent researches have demonstrated that 

 a color sense is almost wholly lacking except 



