104 



be made without insect selection in the latter case as in the 

 former. 



When the more recent leaves of a Croton change from 

 yellow to scarlet and the older green leaves at the same time 

 change to a red-chocolate color, no insects whatever are 

 concerned in these color changes, and yet the new colors 

 are as distinct and well defined as those of a flower. No 

 insects are concerned in the colors of bracts, leaves, stems, 

 petioles and roots ; why in the parts of a flower? 



10. There are a plenty of existing flowers of a dull hue 

 owing to crude combinations of pigments, as perhaps green 

 and purple. Why have the bees not selected the purple 

 thousands of years ago? Simply because they have no 

 control over the acids, alkalies or other chemical agents in 

 the sap. Their utmost ability is to perpetuate what the 

 constitution of the plant creates. 



The white w^ater-lily (jSly7npha>a) in south-eastern Massa- 

 chusetts is slightly inclined to a pink color, discoverable on 

 the borders of the sepals. On Cape Cod there is a variety 

 wholly of a beautiful pink tint. Does anyone believe that 

 this tint was produced by the selective agency of some 

 insect peculiar to Cape Cod? The idea would probably 

 strike the average mind as absurd. 



In brief. Mailer's idea is that insects have changed the 

 form and the color of flowers, which is equivalent to saying 

 that insects have created the different s})ecies of [)lants. 

 The result of this doctrine logically carried out to its final 

 analysis would be that, as species affect the fruits, all the 

 various kinds of fruits, as plums and cherries, apples and 

 pears, oranges and pineapples, etc., were originated practi- 

 cally by bees and butterflies ! I do not think that with our 

 present knowledge we are quite ready to accord to them so 

 much power and influence over the floral world. 



W^ith all deference, therefore, to Muller's opinion regard- 

 ing Gen/iana, we are forced to believe that he was mistaken 

 regarding the cause of a different color in a different 

 species. 



