12 
BRITISH BEES. 
supposed, the colour of flowers chiefly effects by being 
visible from a distance. Flowers, within themselves, in¬ 
dicate to the bees visiting them the presence of nectaria 
by spots coloured differently from their petals. This 
nectar, converted by bees into honey, is secreted by 
glands or glandulous surfaces, seated upon the organs 
of fructification; and nature has also furnished means 
to protect these depositories of honey for the bees, from 
the intrusive action of the rain, which might wash the 
sweet secretion away. To this end it has clothed the 
corollse with a surface of minute hairs, which effectually 
secures them from its obtrusive action, and thus displays 
the importance it attaches to the co-operation of the 
bees. That bees should vary considerably in size, is a 
further accommodation of nature to promote the ferti¬ 
lization of flowers, which, in some cases, small insects 
could not accomplish. Many plants could not be per¬ 
petuated, but for the agency of insects, and especially 
of bees; and it is remarkable that it is chiefly those 
which require the aid of this intervention that have a 
nectarium, and secrete honey. By thus seeking the 
honey, and obtaining it in a variety of ways, bees accom¬ 
plish this great object of nature. It often, also, happens 
that flowers which even contain within themselves the 
means of ready fructification cannot derive it from the 
pollen of their own anthers, but require that the pollen 
should be conveyed to them from the anthers of younger 
flowers; in some cases the reverse takes place, as for 
instance, in the Euphorbia Cyparissias , wherein it is 
the pollen of the older flower which, through the same 
agency, fertilizes the younger. Although many flowers 
are night-flowers, yet the very large majority expand 
during the day; but to meet the requirements of those 
