PREFERENCE FOR BLUE. 



307 



and one of the last four only in 26 cases ; while, on the 

 contrary, they selected the plain as one of the first 

 three only in 25 cases, and one of the last four in 75 

 MM. 



I may add that I was by no means prepared for 

 this result. 



I may very likely be asked, if blue is the favourite 

 colour of bees, and if bees have had so much to do 

 with the origin of flowers, how is it that there are 

 so few blue ones ? I believe the explanation to be- 

 that all blue flowers have descended from ancestors 

 in which the flowers were green ; or, to speak more 

 precisely, in which the leaves immediately surround- 

 ing the stamens and pistil were green ; and that they 

 have passed through stages of white or yellow, and gene- 

 rally red, before becoming blue. That all flowers were 

 originally green and inconspicuous, as those of so many 

 plants are still, has, I think, been shown by recent 

 researches, especially those of Darwin, Miiller, and 

 Hildebrand. 



But what are the considerations which seem to 



