THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
23 
plants with thickened underground rootstocks, from which the 
earhest flowers of the North spring, are rare or absent here. 
What shall it profit a plant to store up food against a time of 
bloom in a climate that will supply food as it goes along? 
*There is no need for haste ; take life easy," seems to be the motto 
of both plants and people. But owing to this lack pf haste on 
the part of the flowers one of the principal charms of early Spring 
is lacking. 
THE BLOOMING OF THE HONEYSUCKLES. 
Dr. Byron D. Halsted has been watching the blooming of the 
twining honeysuckle {Lonicera Japonica) and finds much of in- 
terest in the way the flowers open and provide for their insect vis- 
itors. He notes that the majority of the buds expand into flowers 
between six and seven o'clock in the evening and as soon as the 
corolla opens, exposing the stamens and styles, the strong fra- 
grance is sent forth while the anthers show large quantities of 
pollen. In his article on the subject in the Plant World, he says : 
''As the sun declines and the air gets more and more laden with 
the honeysuckle fragrance, due to the increasing number of 
freshly opened flowers, the various night-flying insects are in evi- 
dence. Among the most conspicuous of these is the sphinx-moth, 
which pauses before each of the white blossoms long enough to 
take a sip and then darts on to the next. So busy are they in their 
round of service, that, standing motionless, the interested watcher 
can have them close to his eyes, see the whole and exceedingly 
simple process all done while upon the w^ng. The down-turning 
of the single lobe of the corolla and the upturning of the other 
four united making an arched opening into which the long pro- 
truding stamens and style provide guides, combine in forming a 
cavity into w4iich the proboscis of the moth is thrust, and the nectar 
being close at hand is easily removed without the flower forming 
any resting place for the insect attendant. The wonder is that 
the moths can sustain themselves so steadily in front of each blos- 
som; but from the almost inaudible hum it is evident that the 
large and delicate wings are moved with remarkable rapidity. 
