VARIOUS MARRlAdE CUSTOMS. 103 



Larkspur carries the same devices one step 

 further. Here, there are five sepals, coloured 

 blue, and prolonged into a spur at the base, 

 ^ which covers the nectaries. Why this outer 

 covering ? Well, in columbine, thievish insects 

 like wasps often eat through the base of the 

 spurred sepals and steal the honey, without 

 benefiting the plant in any way, as they don't 

 come lear the stamens and carpels. Larkspur 

 provides against that evil chance by covering its 

 honey with two protective coats ; for within the 

 spur of the sepals lies a spurred nectary made 

 up of the petals. The petals themselves are 

 reduced to two, because the sepals are coloured, 

 and do all the attractive duty ; and besides, even 

 these two petals are combined into one, as a 

 further economy. But the arrangement of the 

 flower is so admirable for ensuring fertilisation 

 that the plant is able still further to dispense 

 with unnecessary parts ; so many larkspurs have 

 only a single many- seeded carpel. Such re- 

 ductions in the numbers of parts are always 

 a sign of high development. Where the devices 

 for effecting the work are poor, many servants 

 are necessary ; where labour-saving improve- 

 ments have been largely introduced, a very 

 few will do the same work, and do it better. 



Monkshood, again, is another example of the 

 same tendency. Here, the one-sidedness which 

 we saw in the larkspur reaches a still more 

 advanced development. The upper sepal is 

 formed into a brilliant blue hood, and it covers 

 two curiously shaped petals, which contain an 

 abundant store of honey. This arrangement is 



