How the Flowers Woo the Insects 



you ? Possibly its blue ^^ dress, which so charms the 

 busy bee, is distasteful to her, or its honey not sea- 

 soned to her dainty palate. 



It is not always necessary for a flower to protect 

 its sweets. It is enough that it should be attractive 

 to the insect it favors. Each class of insects having 

 special races of flowers catering to its needs speedily 

 learns where it is most welcome and most certain 

 of entertainment. 



Nearly all llowers, however, protect themselves 

 from creeping pilferers. Common methods of do- 

 ing this are by exuding a sticky substance along 

 their stems, or covering them with a fuzzy growth. 

 The closed gentian keeps its petals always folded 

 for this reason. 



In return for the attractions or protection offered 

 by their special friends, the Butterfly and the Bee 

 aorreed to be faithful to their affinities and work 

 diligently for them in the transfer of their pollen. f 



FLOWERS AXD JXSECTS SUBJECT TO THE SAME LAW 



Years or decades do not count in the process of 



* Lubbock's careful experiments would seem to prove that bees 

 prefer blue flowers, moths white, butterflies various shades of red, 

 and beetles and small flies white and yellow. White and pale yellow, 

 being more conspicuous in the dark than any other color, have been 

 almost universally adopted by night-blooming flowers. 



f Another reason which tends to make an insect remain true to a 

 certain species while in bloom is the fact that it can work much more 

 rapidly by so doing, as it knows the method of approach thoroughly 



23 



