BEES AS FERTILISERS. 



281 



in the filament, until they stand just over the stigma, 

 so that a bee, entering, could not fail to get dusted 

 on the breast with pollen (now beginning to be shed), 

 as the tongue is stretched out, and the head pushed 

 forward to reach the sweet secretion in the spur. 

 The anthers, continuing to reach maturity, follow their 

 leaders, one by one, and, during the time that their 

 pollen is being liberated by dehiscence (gaping of 

 the pollen pouches), they stand in front of, or close 



Fig. 55.— Flowers of Trop.eolum majus (Garden Nasturtium), 

 Order Geraniacece (Natural Size). 

 A Young Flower (part removed)— a, a, Anthers ; s, Stigma ; h, Hairs to save 

 Nectar from Rain; n, Nectary, or Spur. B, Older Flower— a , Withered 

 Anthers ; s', Receptive Stigma ; h', Hairs ; n', Nectary. 



to, the stigma. This process occupies from three to 

 seven days, during which time the flower is, in func- 

 tion, male only, although, as carrying both anther and 

 pistil, it would be classed as hermaphrodite, or of 

 double gender. The anthers now begin to drop off, 

 the first to mature being, of course, the first to fade, 

 and the filaments which bore them, and carried them 

 into position, now shrivel somewhat, and droop, occupy- 

 ing the position shown at a', B. But the style, mean- 



