BEES IN RE LA TION TO FLOWERS. 245 



It may, perhaps, be necessary, previously to 

 entering on this subject, to say that in flowers we 

 have organs analogous to, though widely differing 

 from, those indicative of sex in the animal world. 

 The functions, at least, are the same ; and the com- 

 bined action of the two sets is essential to the 

 propagation of the race by seed. Unless pollen from 

 the anthers is conveyed to the pistil, and, germinating 

 there, imparts to the ovules vivifying nourishment, 

 no seed will come to perfection, or will be capable of 

 growing. While most flowers are hermaphrodite, i.e. 

 produce both stamens (or anther-bearers) and pistils, 

 it happens, in not a few instances, that certain flowers 

 have anthers, and no pistils : while others, on the 

 same plant, have pistils, but no anthers. Again, the 

 antheriferous and pistiliferous flowers, in certain 

 species, are found on different individual plants, so 

 that, unless some agency were provided for the trans- 

 ference of the pollen, these species would inevitably 

 die out. Now, the two means for this conveyance 

 are the wind and insects. It is evident that the 

 former can have only a very limited action, and would 

 need for its effective service a great abundance of any 

 particular flower, lest the fructifying grains should 

 become the mere sport of the breezes, and fail to 

 reach their all-important goal, and accomplish their 

 all-needful function. 



Moreover, in many cases, the position of the 

 anthers in the flower entirely excludes the possibility 

 of any currents of air assisting in the carrying of the 

 pollen-dust to the pistil of the same or of different 

 flowers. Hence there is a necessity for the inter- 

 vention of insects ; and that they may be induced to 



