FLORAL MECHAXISMS 



109 



little boat-petals that the least touch will send it 

 flying. A honey-bee or one of the smaller bees who 

 comes to get nectar is welcomed with a whole 

 shower of pollen as soon as he 

 alights. But the bees do not seem 

 to mind these wanton pranks that 

 we would consider very inhos- 

 pitable, for they keep on their 

 round of visits, carrying some 

 pollen, and receiving more. Sim- 

 ilar frivolous welcomes are of- 

 fered by the Genista tinctoria, or 

 whin. 



But it is not alone in the Bean 

 family that we find flowers shoot- 

 ing off their pollen. Some of the 

 Heath family have learned simi- 

 lar tricks worthy of April First. 



Male Berry — Andromeda lisustrina 

 (called by some botanists Lyonia) 

 June-July 



This is a shrub growing in 

 moist thickets which lives like a 

 clown by its jokes. Let ]Mr. 

 Gibson describe its conduct.* 



* From Blossom Hosts and Insect Guests, William Hamilton Gib- 

 son. 



