8 o 
the: story or the oak tree 
shaped so that nobody can carry its pollen except Mr. 
Bee. If Mrs. Fly attempts to enter in search of nectar 
she soon finds she is not strong enough to push against 
the heavy stamens, and even if she succeeded in getting 
by them, she would be stopped half way down the co¬ 
rolla tube by a fence of stiff hairs which the sage has 
put up on purpose. 
If Nature works over each flower until it has that 
color, scent, and structure which best adapts it for in¬ 
sect visitors, she also works over the insects, that they 
may be better fitted to gather pollen or to suck nectar 
from the blossoms. Flower-visiting flies and beetles have 
long, sharp noses and pointed jaws wonderfully adapted 
for scraping pollen from the anthers of flowers. Grow¬ 
ing out from under his jaw the humble-bee has two long, 
strong spikes with which he can pierce right through 
the petals of such flowers as wisteria, clover or forget- 
me-not, reaching the nectar by short-cut. The honey¬ 
bee, which has shorter spikes, cannot pierce the corolla, 
but must crawl partly into the flower from one side, and 
has a hard time finding the nectar. 
If you want to have strong muscles in your arms, 
what do you do to gain them? You throw your ball, you 
learn to pitch straight and true, you exercise the muscles 
by using them, and the more they are used, the stronger 
they grow. Violin players have strong wrists and fingers, 
