THE FLOWER AND THE BEE 



The flowers of the akier are in catkins or ainents. A cat- 

 kin is a cylindrical flower-cluster composed of many small. 



Fig. i. Common Alder. Alnns incana 

 A, fertile catkins ; B, staminate catkins ; a wind-pollinated shrub 



nearly sessile flowers, and numerous protecting scales. The 

 stamens and pistils are always in different catkins. In a 



