SPRING FLOWERS 143 



When the structure of the flower has been made out by dis- 

 secting several examples an intact flower should be considered 

 in relation to the insects which visit the flowers in search of 

 the nectar. This can only be reached by insects with a fairly 

 long proboscis, and the flowers are in fact visited by humble- 

 bees and other large bees and adapted for pollination by 

 them. The way in which this comes about can be inferred 

 by a study of. the flower, but whenever possible growing 

 plants in flower should be watched on fine days, and the 

 insects which come to seek the honey noted and their behaviour 

 observed. 



The bee alights on the lower lip of the corolla, and thrusts 

 its head as far down the wider portion as possible. Its proboscis 

 thus reaches the nectar, and it remains sucking this. The body 

 of the bee fills up the space between the under and upper lips, 

 so that its back presses against the latter. The stigma and 

 anthers are placed beneath this, the front lobe of the stigma 

 projecting farther forward than the other parts. The bee will 

 first come in contact with this, and pollen brought on its 

 back from another flower may be deposited on the stigma. A 

 further supply of pollen from the anthers, which have been seen 

 to open downwards, will be deposited on the corresponding 

 portion of the insect's body, and will be deposited on the stigma 

 of the next flower visited. Since the stigma is receptive when the 

 stamens are shedding their pollen, the flower may readily be 

 self-pollinated by the insect. But since the flowers are largely 

 visited, and insects pass rapidly from flower to flower in search 

 of the honey, the chance of cross-pollination is very great. All 

 the features in the construction of the flower are to be understood 

 as rendering this probable. 



After pollination the corolla falls off, carrying with it the 

 stamens and the style, and the ovary enlarges and becomes the 

 fruit. The lobes develop into four nutlets, each containing a 

 single seed. When mature the nutlets split apart and are shed 

 separately, but show no special arrangements to facilitate dis- 

 persal. Since each contains only one seed, there is no need for 

 the nutlet to open, and its wall protects the seed until this ger- 

 minates and gives rise to a new plant. 



