THE PLANT AS A HOST 33 



their presence, and even to make some provision for 

 their welfare. Finally, we find the plant as an 

 unwilling host, with exacting visitors quartered 

 upon it whose demands may be pushed to such an 

 extent that its very life is at stake. 



It has for long been realised that the relations 

 between the plant and the ant present some 

 remarkable points. The frequency with which 

 these active insects are to be found in flowers 

 cannot fail to have attracted the attention of 

 observers. Now, in a certain way, the worker 

 ants are not in the flow r er for any good purpose, 

 having come to feast on the pollen and nectar. 

 As these insects do not possess wings, they are 

 not helpful in carrying the pollen from one plant 

 to another, as bees and flies often do. Yet we 

 cannot ignore the fact that in many cases the 

 presence of ants in flowers is tolerated, if indeed 

 it is not actually encouraged. As is well known, 

 ants are peculiarly intolerant of the presence of 

 other insects, and there seems no question that on 

 occasion they will render ill-protected flowers a 

 service in eating up other small marauders which 

 come to plunder. It has been said, although the 

 statement lacks confirmation, that ants will some- 

 times frighten bees away from flowers by the 

 attacks which they make upon them. If this be 



