JUGGLING WITH LIFE 



POSSIBLY the reader recalls Huxley's famous 

 demonstration that old maids are largely re- 

 sponsible for the development of the beef-fed Briton. 

 The explanation was that old maids are the keepers 

 of cats; that cats destroy field mice; that field mice 

 in turn, if allowed to live, would destroy the bumble 

 bee, and that the services of this insect are required 

 in the propagation of clover, upon which feed the 

 oxen that supply food to the Briton. 



Notwithstanding the facetiousness of this chain 

 of reasoning, it nevertheless conveys an important 

 truth : the truth namely that the very existence of 

 flowering plants is dependent upon the friendly ser- 

 vices of insects. 



Before the day of Darwin it was pretty generally 

 supposed that flowers are provided to gladden the 

 eye of human kind. Darwin showed that the real 

 purpose of the blossom is to attract insects, in order 

 that the pollen may be conveyed from one flower to 

 another and the fertilization effected without which 

 no seed or fruit can be produced. 



The fragrance of flowers and the presence of sweet 

 juices are designed to accomplish the same end. 

 When, therefore, we hear bees humming about the 



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