38 



THE COLOURS OF FLOWERS. 



pilipes, however, is a spring insect, and has already 

 disappeared before the Delphinium comes into flower, 

 so that it appears to depend for its fertilisation 

 entirely on Bombus hortoriimy 



Thus within the limits of the Ranunculacece we get 

 every gradation in colouring, from the very simple, 

 open, yellow buttercups, through the white water 



Fig. 13- Petals of monkshood, concealed by sepals, and produced into honey- 

 bearing sacs. 



crowfoots, the red adonis, the scarlet paeony, and the 

 purple columbine, to the very irregular blue larkspur, 

 and the extremely complex ultramarine monkshood. 

 In this family it may be noted, too, that increase of 

 adaptation to insect visits is shown rather by peculi- 

 arities of shape and arrangement than by mere 

 increased size of petals, as among the roses. 



Observe also that every advance either in insect 



