256 



THE HONEY-BEE. 



however, a bee visits the flower, and thrusts up her 

 proboscis, this strikes against one of the little horns, 

 and pulls apart its anther from the rest. Pollen then 

 drops on the bee's head, to be carried by it to other 

 blossoms, which, while receiving a portion brought 

 to them, in their turn give the bee a supply to carry 

 to other flowers. It is a very salutary thing for 

 the propagation of the heath that bees have such a 

 strong liking for its nectar, and are thus induced 

 to perform, albeit unconsciously, the process of 

 fertilisation. 



In the strawberry the stigmas are ripe long before 

 the pollen is ready; and hence we understand why 



Fig. 81.— Section of Steawbekry Bloom. 



the Creator has arranged that the nectar of these 

 blossoms should be so attractive to the bees, whose 

 visits are so necessary for the development of the 

 fruit. When fertilisation takes place, growth proceeds 

 in the ordinary manner, and with results so satis- 

 factory to mankind. Where pollen fails to fall on 

 any of the multitudinous stigmas, we have a shrunken, 

 hard, greenish mass. Any dish of strawberries will 

 show where this has happened. It is said that to 



