1889.] 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



surrounded by a tiny pink cup or chalice, and surmounted by the five 

 teeth of the calyx, from which springs the long tubular corolla. Ex- 

 ternally it is pink, and whilst immature resembles a cluster of coral, or 

 it may be likened to a bundle of Indian clubs to be used for musical 

 drill by the fairies. When fully developed the corolla tube opens, 

 and becomes split for one-third of its length into two unequal lips, the 

 upper of four united petals as shown by its four-toothed apex, and the 

 lower of one strap-shaped petal. The inner surface of the petals are 

 of a rich creamy colour, and at the base of the long tube is secreted 

 a quantity of nectar, which makes the blossoms very attractive to 

 insects, and children are never weary of pulling off and sucking the 

 tubular corollas for their luscious sweets. The five stamens which 

 are inserted within the corolla tube, are protruded beyond its orifice 

 by their long filaments, on the top of which the anthers are delicately 

 poised so as to quiver with every breath of air, they reach nearly on a 

 level with the long slender style, which rising from the top of the 

 ovary, attains a height of fully two inches. It is amazing how the 

 pollen grain — individually so small as to be scarcely visible to the 

 naked eye — can evolve a tube which will penetrate the whole length of 

 the style, and convey the fertilising influence to the ovules there wait- 

 ing to be fecundated, and thus become the seeds of the plant. The 

 flowers of the honeysuckle are succeeded by a cluster of bright scarlet 

 berries, which in autumn adorn our hedges, and almost rival in beauty 

 the blossoms which preceded them. The flowers of the honeysuckle 

 being so highly specialised, show very considerable variability of 

 structure, such as becoming double, or the corolla being regularly split 

 into five divisions, or sometimes even wanting altogether. A very 

 common modification is virescence, the whole flower assuming a green 

 colour ; indeed there is scarcely any floral malformation but is repre- 

 sented in the honeysuckle. 



The popular name of woodbine alludes to its creeping habit, and 

 its encircling and thus binding trees and shrubs together. It is from 

 the Anglo-Saxon wudn-winde or wudn-bind=wudn a tree, and windan 

 twine, or bindan bind. 



It has been supposed that Shakspeare, in the " Midsummer 

 Night's Dream," applies this name of woodbine to the bitter-sweet, 

 another climbing, creeping, shrubby plant, but with the power of 

 twining less fully developed. Titania sings : — 



" Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms 



So doth the woodbine, the sweet honeysuckle 



Gently entwist — the female ivy so 



Enrings the barky fingers of the elm." 



