The Snapdragon 



and, in fact, as Lord Avebury pointed out, the 

 Snapdragon flower " is a strong box of which the 

 humble-bee only holds the key." No wonder the 

 Snapdragon is built on bold, uncouth Unes when 

 adapting itself to visitors whom Maeterhnck de- 

 scribes as " enormous and covered, like primitive 

 man, with a formless fur which rings of copper and 

 cinnabar encircle. They are still half barbarous ; 

 they ravish the calices, destroying them if they 

 resist, and push through the satin veils of the corollas 

 like a cave-bear that might have forced its way 

 into the silken, pearl-bestrewn tent of a Byzantine 

 princess." 



Watch a humble-bee approaching. With much 

 noise it hovers over the flower, then suddenly alights 

 on two knobs that are conveniently placed for the 

 purpose on the lower lip. The lip swings down 

 under its weight and the mouth is open. The bee 

 half clumsily pushes in, finding a good foothold among 

 the thickly set hairs that carpet the surface of the 

 lower lip. It dives down towards the honey, which 



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