MARRIAGE AMONG THE CLOVERS 



109 



he knows at once that he may safely ignore the 

 dry brown flowers tucked away against the stem, 

 because they are already fertilised and honeyless ; 

 he therefore directs all 

 his attention to the 

 mature and open flowers 

 which are now producing 

 honey and ready for fer- 

 tilisation. These form 

 practically, as you will 

 see, at each moment the 

 outer row of the flower- 

 head, and are the ones 

 which naturally first en- 

 gage his notice as he 

 alights on the cluster. 



No. 8 shows us the 

 same head in a little later 

 stage of advancement. 

 Here, almost all the 

 flowers have now been 

 fertilised, and they are 

 therefore turning their 

 brown and faded florets 

 downward against the 

 stem. Two among them, 

 which the bee has only 

 just left, are caught in 

 the very act of bending 



down, so as to get out of the way of any further 

 visitor. The flowers in the centre, which are still 

 erect, were not yet opened when the last bee paid 



NO. 8. DUTCH CLOVER, WITH 

 ALMOST ALL THE FLOWERS 

 FERTILISED, AND TWO JUST 

 TURNING DOWN. 



