154 THE HUMAN SIDE OF PLANTS 
its way out and crawls to the earth, living there in 
the form of a chrysalis until its resurrection as a 
full-fledged yucca-moth. 
Most plants are honest. Even the kidnappers 
offer some reward, at least a temporary one, to 
the insects they deceive; but there are a few plants 
with showy blossoms, like the Grass of Parnassus, 
which employ the services of insects without giving 
any remuneration. In their flaring costumes and 
their unlovely habits they are remarkably analogous 
to the flashily clothed “confidence man” whom the 
human race endures. 
These plants are deceptive. In the centre of each 
of their blossoms they create the peculiar illusion of 
a drop of honey—the plant’s “gold brick.” This 
is done by means of tiny hairs skillfully arranged 
around a shiny knob, appearing for all the world 
like an honest drop of pure honey. Numerous in- 
sects, seeing what they believe to be glistening nec- 
tar, visit the hypocrites in the belief that they will 
receive a delicious meal. They leave without the 
honey, poor things; but the plant has attained its 
end, for each insect carries away, unintentionally, a 
good supply of pollen. Forgetting the flower’s de- 
ceit, or hoping that the next flower might be more 
honest, the still-hungry guest calls immediately 
upon another blossom that has its glistening lure. 
