APRIL 53 



delicate than that of the arbutus, and 

 when the perfume has for its accompani- 

 ment the woodsy odor of freshly disturbed 

 leaves and moss the charm is complete. 

 When it grows out in the open sun arbutus 

 is rose-red, in more protected situations it 

 is a faint pink, but when it nestles under 

 the leaves it is a clear, beautiful, and waxy 

 white. We are told, on the authority of 

 Eugene Field, that "the color doesn't mat- 

 ter when you're seein' things at night." 

 But it does. Most night-blooming flowers 

 are white, and when the arbutus nestles in 

 dark places it, too, is white. For white is 

 the best color for a flower that in the dusk 

 needs to catch the eye of the roving fly or 

 bee or butterfly. To this whiteness, night- 

 growing flowers usually add a powerful 

 fragrance. The arbutus, when found be- 

 neath the leaves, has a most delicious odor, 

 while that which grows in the open is often 

 quite lacking in perfume. Here the rose- 

 color catches the eye of the hovering fly 

 and attracts him to the nectar. In this way 

 the flower is helped to set its seed. But 



