80 STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



of the mountain laurel are almost without scent, the less 

 showy and white flowers of the azalea are very fra- 

 grant. Hence, too, the Canadian rhodora, whose brilliant 

 lilac flowers are rendered more conspicuous by appear- 

 ing before their leaves are out, is less odorous than the 

 alder-leaved clethra, whose blossoms might escape 

 notice, when buried under the mass of foliage that is 

 peculiar to the later summer, when they are out. 



To this theory there is an apparent exception in the 

 flowers of the grasses, which are neither beautiful nor 

 odorous. But nature has formed the grasses in such a 

 manner as to render them independent of the services 

 of insects for promoting their fertilization. She has 

 caused them to spring up in dense masses, and elevated 

 the flowers on long and slender stems, which are readily 

 moved to and fro by the winds, and constantly brought 

 into contact with one another. To render this process 

 the more certain, the flowers of grasses are unprovided 

 with a corolla, which would interfere with this amalga- 

 mating process, and nature has suspended the powdery 

 anthers outside of the glumes, so that the stamens of 

 one flower are easily brought in contact with the poin- 

 tals of others. The flower of the grass, which is with- 

 out honey, has neither the fragrance of other flowers, 

 nor its beautiful corolla, which would serve only to 

 guide the insect to a dry fountain, and to an object that 

 has no need of its agency. Nature has established 

 other agents to perform these services for the grasses; 

 and appointed the zephyrs for this purpose, who dip 

 their pinions into the farina of the flowers, and fertilize 

 them while sweeping over the waving field in their 

 invisible flight. 



The hues, the fragrance, and the general beauty of the 

 flower are but parts of an apparatus purposely contrived 



