The Bee's Tongue 



33 



inner surface of the trap-door A at the top -of the sac. The 

 back of the round anther is visible in the illustration, but 

 the stigma within cannot be seen. The space X forms an 

 opening into the upper part of the sac. 



One could not remain in that orchid-grown forest in- 

 definitely, so there was nothing to do but to take a number 

 of the mysterious and handsome blos- 

 soms home. They were still wonder- 

 ful in the full daylight, and yet there 

 is no denying they left a part of their 

 charm in the mystery of the woods. 



Their color is a beautiful pink, not 

 like that of the rose and yet suggest- 

 ing it. The full pink sac is adorned 

 with bronze streamer-like sepals that 

 heighten the color effect and increase 

 the charm. There was a large queen 

 bombus to welcome them to their new 

 home, — a splendid creature that may 

 well have held the rank in the insect 

 world that they did in the world of plants. 



She flew at once to the new flowers, and although her 

 observer had no thought of her entering the orchid, or if 

 so, of her being able to extricate her large body through 

 the proper opening, she scattered theories to the winds by 

 at once introducing her head through the slit in the front 

 part of the sac and licking the inside of the flower as far as 

 her long and flexible tongue could reach. 



Then she forced herself in a little farther to reach yet 

 unexplored sweets. Evidently orchid nectar was entirely 

 to her mind, for presently she crowded still farther in, and 

 in a moment more the lips of the sac closed triumphantly 

 over her receding form and the first act in the romantic 

 drama of the Iqve of the orchid had been played, 



3 



