THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



219 



along the branches. In both these 

 species the corolla is united into a hol- 

 low egg or urn-shaped tube, whilst in 

 Calluna it is divided into five petals, the 

 flowers are smaller and so closely placed 

 as completely to cover the branches, it 

 is usually called ling or heather. All 

 the heaths are insect fertilised, and to 

 further this end the flowers of E, teU 

 ralixy which may be taken as the 

 type, are very specially constructed. 

 The handsome, showy, tubular blos- 

 soms hang down bell fashion, and the 

 mouth of the corolla is almost closed 

 by the stigma as if it were the clapper 

 or tongue of the bell. Half-way within 

 the bell the style is surrounded by the 

 anthers, they do not cohere, but, closely 

 touching each other form an encircling 

 ring investing the style, they open by 

 pores at the sides, which as we have 

 seen touch each other so that even 

 when the pollen is mature, although it 

 is dry and powdery, it cannot fall out 

 whilst the ring remains undisturbed. 

 To ensure its dispersion an exquisite 

 contrivance is provided. Each anther 

 is furnished at its back with two spiny 

 processes which project into the cavity 

 of the bell, which is thus filled with 

 these hair-like awns. The result of 

 this arrangement is, that on a bee 

 visiting a blossom it of necessity butts 

 its head against the protruding stigma 

 thereby depositing on it some of the 

 adhering pollen acquired and carried 

 from some previous visit. Intent on 



sucking the nectar which lies at the 

 bottom of the corolla the bee inserts 

 its proboscis, which must certainly 

 impinge against one or more of the 

 projecting anther awns, thus breaking 

 the continuity of the anther ring, and 

 dislodging the powdery pollen which 

 thus falls in a shower on the bee^s 

 forehead, to be carried to adjacent 

 flowers as it wings its merry and in- 

 dustrious flight. The whole mechan- 

 ism of this elaborate device is aln;iost 

 identical with that of the Violet (see 

 Y.N. page 124. A comparison of the 

 structure of the two plants will well 

 repay the trouble. In Calluna the 

 corolla is not tubular, but the immense 

 number and proximity of the blossoms 

 insures that they will be cross-fertilised 

 by the visits of insects. All the Ericas 

 secrete large quantities of nectar, hence 

 they are highly esteemed for their 

 honey-producing powers. Professional 

 bee-keepers always endeavour to 

 get their hives taken to the moors 

 in autumn, when the heather is 

 in bloom, it is reckoned that they will 

 there produce as much honey in six 

 weeks as in all the remaining portion 

 of the year. The innumerable closely 

 ranked blossoms of Calluna are the 

 most melHferous, although the earlier 

 flowering E. tetralix also bears an abun- 

 dance of nectar, bee-masters consider 

 it of no value for filling their stores, 

 and it is generally out of bloom before 

 the hives are tranferred to the moors. 



