BOTANY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 17 



flowers, as the stronger and bolder sex, are 

 drawn by the impulses of nature to pay court to 

 the feebler and more delicate female. The 

 male stamina, with their gaily painted hats, bow 

 around the female pistil as beaus about their 

 belle. Each, in turn, is permitted to come in 

 contact with the fair, and as the contact takes 

 place, the golden pollen is shaken upon the pis- 

 til and the stamen retires to give place to the 

 next that offers the same homage. What does 

 it mean here when it speaks of male and female 

 flowers ? 



E. From the pistil nourishing the fruit in its 

 bosom it is considered as the mother, and bears 

 a Greek name signifying wife, Grynia, while 

 the stamens that stand by and guard her, are 

 termed husbands, Andria. Darwin makes 

 very pretty allusion to this in his poetical de- 

 scription of the Meadi a, or American Cowslip: 



"Meadia's soft chains fine suppliant beaus confess, 

 And hand in hand the laughing belle address, 

 Alike to all she bows with wanton air, 

 Rolls her dark eye, and waves her golden hair." 



You will appreciate the suitableness of these 

 lines when you know more abouj the plant. 



Li. Why are flowers so very handsome and 

 yet no one thinks much of pulling them to 



