THE FLOWER 117 



"with the usual corolla, stamens and pistil of the pea- 

 flower. 



13. How the bee's time is saved. The lower 

 flowers in the clover bunch come out first, and then 

 those higher up. When one of the lower flowers 

 has been visited by a bee, it begins to gather itself 

 round its seed-pod, and to throw itself back out of the 

 way. Look at a clover cluster that has been in flower 

 for a day or two, and you will see the little withered 

 flowers that have been already visited by the bees. 

 They are all hanging down out of the way, but the 

 flowers that have not been visited stand straight up to 

 catch the eye of the bee. When a bee comes up, it 

 does not need to search to find out the flowers that 

 have not been visited, and so no time is lost. This 

 suits the bee, because it can get more honey ; and 

 it suits the clover because it can get more of its 

 flowers visited. Can you wonder now that the clover- 

 plant, with its beautiful leaves and its wonderfully- 

 planned flowers, has spread all over the world ? A 

 great poet once lifted his hat to a fine rose ; and, when 

 you hear of a great man of science bending over a 

 clover plant with wonder and delight, you will not now 

 think it strange. 



Questions and Exercises: — 



(1) Name all the flowers you know that are built on the pea- 

 iiower plan. 



(2) Take a gorse flower to pieces, and find how the wings are 

 locked at the base with the keel. Compare any of the native 

 pea-flowers : sarsaparilla, native hop, native scarlet runner, 

 Hrds' foot, trefoil, etc. 



(3) How does the calyx of the gorse differ from that of the 

 white clover? 



