The Snapdragon 



secured, the humble-bee scrambles out backwards 

 and flies away to an adjacent flower. 



One or two of the humble-bees, however, are 

 thieves, and they simply pierce a hole low down in 

 the corolla-wall and suck out the honey from the 

 outside. The hive bee behaves in a similar dis- 

 honest way if she wants honey. Lord Avebury 

 suggests that she dare not attempt to get it by the 

 legitimate way, for she would surely be made 

 prisoner if she did. If she is merely collecting 

 poUen, however, she sits on the lower lip, and 

 through the entrance reaches up to the pollen and 

 takes it away. She does not need to enter for this 

 purpose. But wood ants and a host of other small 

 flies sometimes manage to creep through the Ups 

 in spite of a strongly set guard, only to find that once 

 in they are trapped and imprisoned. There is no 

 means of opening the flower from the inside. 



Fertihsation completed, the flower slips off whole, 



like a garment, the bright corolla with the stamens 



on its roof. The ovary with the column still 

 68 137 



