in t .? rde y, t0 insu . rea good, vigorous species. It is also evident that should the pollen con- 
weake„edTnd : finaUvT, m',? “‘5 £“ ^ tJ f P kn i s ™ive generations nUght become 
stracted so as to fnediSt 1 t ?x Sp ? les To avoid such a calamity, flowers are eon- 
structedso as to facilitate cross-fertilization, and the means that some of them adoot towards in¬ 
suring that end are remarkable. The stamens on most of the simple flowers usually curve out- 
nnllen foir hat the K polI . en ‘ laden anthers a re fa r enough removed so that there is little danger of the 
? -fl! m ?i? n t l fi Stlgma ’ a . t least untd after cross-fertilization has already taken place° Others 
birsom^uTdt? vs r,pea first> so that ;t must —^* 
frn ^ Ve ? ]1 at lnda stry of the honey bee; how tirelessly it buzzes from flower to flower 
doW > e nectar ; fillS itS cells; but we do not “ -Xe 
tne double duty it is doing, for it is a most reliable and active agent for the propagations of a m-eat 
many plants. Many butterflies, bees, and even beetles unconsciously accomplish the same result 
and it is now conceded that each has special colors that are attractive to them. For instance the 
bumblebee has a strong preference for blues and purples. The observer will also notice that a bee 
makes the rounds from flower to flower, taking all of one kind and passing by other specieT 
While this habit undoubtedly avoids some complications, even should he mix his drinks and visit 
in succession flowers of widely different species, confusion would not be apt to result, for the stigma 
one species is usually not responsive to pollen brought from blossoms of another family & 
„ i ^° tamst f S° a step further; not content with the discovery that certain insects like certain 
colors, they claim (and apparently with good reason) that the bright and showy petals are for the 
so e purpose of attracting insects; they are, in fact, bill boards advertising the fact that there is 
9 
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