540 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



of great importance to the floral world. They carry 

 upon their bodies supplies of pollen which are home 

 from plant to plant. If you watch a bee as it 



beautiful colors when the vitality of a part is low, 

 and honey and odor frequently can be found upon 

 them. Tliese were evidently the starting-points for 

 selection to work upon in leading up to lilies, gera- 

 niums, and orchids. Those plants tliat displayed 

 tiie greatest amount of a color pleasing to certain 

 insects were most often visited and hence best fer- 

 tilized. The least beautiful, if unable to continue 

 producing pollen enough for wind fertilization, and 

 failing- to attract Insects in sufficient numbers, were 

 slowly extinguished. Every added beauty to a 

 flower, by increasing its attractiveness, giive it the 

 advantage in the struggle over its fellows, because 

 it was made to produce more and better seeds. 

 Features of color, shade, or odor pleasing to one 

 kind of insect proved displeasing- or indifferent to 

 another, so that a large variety of forms resulted. 

 Dull yellow flowers are evidently obnoxious to 

 beetles, for we find that they almost entirely avoid 

 them. Dull purple seems to be the choice color of 

 the host of minute insects that swarm around 

 marshes, the margins of lakes, and wet places gen- 

 erally. White is the favorite color of night-flying 

 moths. Butterflies and bees choose brilliant reds, 

 pinks, blues, and violets. By actually counting the 

 number of Insects visiting various flowers during 



FIG. 3. 



forces its way down the honey-bearing gland of a 

 fleur de luce (iris). Fig-. 4, you will observe how it 

 rubs its pollen-covered back against the stigma, A, 

 on entering, but on finishing its repast it can not 

 return without a complete reversal of its body. 

 This covers its back once more with pollen from B, 

 which it carries to the next flower. In the moun- 

 tain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) as it awkwardly tum- 

 bles among the bent stamens they spring up and 

 cover it with their yellow dust. Tiiis it bears away 

 to another plant of the same kind, where, by its 

 movements, it is rubbed off upon the stigmas. 

 Upon close inspection it will be found that, as a 

 rule, the part of the insect bearing the largest 

 pollen load is the very part it finds it necessary to 

 turn toward the stigma in honey-bearing flowers 

 when it seeks their sweet product. In lilacs and 

 some others the insect first gels its head daubed 

 with honey and then with pollen, whicli- thus ad- 

 heres, until, reaching another flower, it rubs past 

 the stigma, where it is deposited. In many other 

 flowers the pollen is naturally roug-h or sticky, and 

 makes itself fa.st to wliatever part of the insect pre- 

 sents itself. In some it is strung like beads on 

 threads, in others it is in little packets cohering 

 together. Sometimes it is projected with force 

 against the insect so as to facilitate adhesion. In a 

 few cases it is locked up in little boxes which the 

 insect's touch opens. In some, hinges and traps 

 are devised so that the insect can not enter the 

 flower without throwing the pollen over itself, as 

 the touching of one part moves as a lever the otlier. 

 Wind-fertilized plants are frequently fertilized 

 by insects, and from them it is believed all our 

 pretty flowers sprang. They occasionally display 



L_. 



FIG. 4. 



tlie course of a day, it is found to be the universal 

 rule that, wliere other things are equal, those blos- 

 soms that are most conspicuous are of tenest visited. 



