POLLEN. 



127 



tion of plants (SYS), while prying into the blossoms in search 

 of honey or bee-bread. In genial seasons, fruit will often 

 set abimdantly, even if no bees are kept in its vicinity; but 

 many Springs are so unpropitious, that often during the 

 critical period of blossoming, the sun shines for only a few 

 hours, so that those only can reasonably exj^eet a renn^nerating 

 crop whose trees are all murmuring with the pleasant hum of 

 bees. 



269. One of the laws of Nature is that the crossing of 

 the races produces offspring with greater vigor, endurance. 



rig. 49. 



SCROPHTJLARIA NODOS.i. 



(Magnified. From Cheshire.) 



A, young blossom, d, stign\a. 



B, section of blossom, ca, calyx ; Cj corolla ; aa, aborted anthers ; 

 s, stigma ; l, lip ; a, anthers ; n, nectar : hi, black lip. 



C, older blossom, d'^ dropping stigma ; a, anthers. 



and faculty of reproduction. Fruits succeed better, when 

 the pollen, which fertilizes the pistil, comes from some other 

 blossom; and the insects are intrusted with the mission of 

 transporting this pollen from one blossom to another, while 

 gathering it for their own use. In some plants, fertilization 

 would have been impossible, without the help of insects. Tor 

 instance, some plants, such as the willows, are diecious, having 

 their male organs on one tree, and their female organs on 

 another. The bees after visiting the one for pollen, go to 

 the other for honey, and the fecundation is effected. In some 



