208 EYE SPY 



sands of singular devices, that the insect shall 

 bring to each the pollen of another flower of the 

 same species, and thus effect what is known as 

 £ross-fertilization. 



We must then look at all flowers as expres- 

 sions of welcome to some insect — day-flowering 

 blossoms mostly to bees and butterflies, and night- 

 bloomers to moths. And not only expressions of 

 welcome, but each with some perfect little plan of 

 its own to make this insect guest the bearer of its 

 pollen to the stigma of another flower of the 

 same species. And how endless are the plans 

 and devices to insure this beautiful scheme! 

 Some flowers make it certain by keeping the stig- 

 ma closed tight until all its pollen is shed ; others 

 place the anther so far away from the stigma as 

 to make pollen contact impossible ; others actu- 

 ally imprison these pollen -bringing insects until 

 they can send them away with fresh pollen all 

 over their bodies. 



Take almost any flower we chance to meet, and 

 it will show us a mystery of form which the insect 

 alone can explain. 



Here is one, growing just outside my door — a 

 blossom " known " even to every child, and cer- 

 tainly to every reader of the " Round Table " — 

 the pretty bluets, or Houstonia, whose galaxy of 

 white or blue stars tints whole spring meadows 

 like a light snowfall. We have " known " it all 



