COLOUR OF FLOWERS— ITS INFLUENCE ON BEE LIFE. 



297 



anthers to develop and the pollen to mature. With this bee im- 

 provement in the flower it soon became a foraging ground for them. 

 Why did they not visit the early blooms ? Because there was no 

 bee-food present. And why did they so visit it when the stamens 

 appeared ? The flowers were not nearly so conspicuous as the earlier 

 blooms. But in passing over they saw there was a reward for their 

 labour. Double flowers— I mean flowers in which the whole of the 

 -stamens have become petals— are far more showy and conspicuous 

 than single ones, both- being of the same variety, and the same 

 ■colour. Bees abhor double flowers, no matter of what colour, but 

 single ones they love- but it is cupboard love, and cupboard love 

 •only- 



Fig. 1. 



ov Ovary. 



ex Calyx tube. 



a Carolla. 



P Pistil, 



s Stamen and Anthers- 



* Calyx. 



a and b combined are 

 the floral envelopes. 



Fig. 2. 

 st Stigma. 



Anthers and Stamens 

 ca Corolla. 

 crcJCalyx. 

 ev Ovary. 



Fig. 1. 



Pig. 2. 



Early last spring the white Arum lily (Arum africanus) was 

 in bloom, and its white pollen was eagerly sought for by bees. At 

 'the same time the broad beans were in full flower. These, too, were 

 an attractive foraging ground for the same insects. A little later 

 the peach trees burst into flower, with the result that the first- 

 named was entirely forsaken, and the latter receiving only an 

 occasional visit. Did the bees go to the peach tree on account of 

 "their attractive colours ? Not a bit of it. While the peaches were 

 in flower so were the willows (Salix babylonica) just throwing out" 

 their catkins. When these two trees, peaches and willows, were in 

 Jt>loom my bees were bringing in pollen of two colours, one creamy- 



