26 



3. "The highest mode of adaptation to insect visits is 

 found in larkspur, Delphinium ajacis, which is hhie, white 

 or red; and still more develoi)ed in monkshood, Aconitnrn 

 iiapellus, one of the deepest blue tiowers we possess." 



4. "Aqniler/ia vulgaris is bhie or dull purple, hut readily 

 reverts to white or red." 



5. "The CoroUifora' betoken in their shape high modi- 

 fication ; yellow is a comparatively rare color, while purple 

 or blue become almost the rule." 



6. "The Borrar/inacea' are another very advanced family 

 of Corolliflonv, and they arc blue almost without exception." 



7. "Most early and simple flowers are yellow because 

 the stamens are generally yellow, and when they developed 

 into petals they naturally retained at first their original 

 coloring." 



8. "In ox-eye daisy and May- weed the rays have become 

 white, and this I think establishes the fact that white is a 

 higher development of color than yellow." 



9. "It is not remarkal)le that the pinks should never be 

 yellow, as the five principal carpels have completely coa- 

 lesced into a five celled ovary." 



10. Progressive coloration is said to follow the modifi- 

 cation of flowers from the simpler forms to those highly 

 specialized. Among the former are buttercups, potentillas, 

 the AlsinecM, and Alismaceoe, as Alisma and Sagittaria ; and 

 among the latter, violets, peas, composites and orchids, 

 harebells, heaths and labiates. 



We answer in the same order : 



No. 1. Has already been for the most part fully an- 

 swered. In Ranunculacecv there is not the slightest evi- 

 dence that the numerous purples and blues have ever been 

 yellow, and as may be seen from a foregoing list, the sta- 

 mens are by no means prevailingly yellow, and from a list 

 a little farther on it will lie proved that purples and blues 

 are no more common in orchids, Legvminosa\ Compofiitu', 

 Scrop)hularia(-ea', etc., than in Banunculacea', etc. 



