The Portland daily press., 1877-11-12
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Insects and Flowers


Sir John Lubbock, M. P, recently gave
lecture before the Literary Association of
Brighton Eng, on the sRelation of Plants
to Insects" He said: Every one knew the
Importance of flowers to insects and that bees
and butterflies derived the main part of their
nourishment from flowers, but comparatively
few were aware of the importance of insects
to flowers. If flowers were useful 10 insects,
insects were indispensable to flowers. The
beautiful and varied colors of many flowers
were due to the existence of insects. The
hues, lines, and shades found in day flowers
were invariably absent in night flowers; and
the reason was, that as they doomed at night
they could not be seen.
The lecturer then mentioned some ex-
periments to test if bees were or were not
able to distinguish colors. He said he had
taught bee to come to certain place for
honey, and he had then placed quantity of
honey on some blue paper, He allowed the
bee TO come to this honey several times, and
he then placed some more honey on piece
OF orange-colored substance. During the
absence OF the bee, on one occasion he took
advantage of the opportunity and shifted the
positions OF the two lots of honey. The bee
came as usual to the spot where the blue
paper had formerly been place, and stood as
il In doubt near the orange-colored substance
aud then it dashed over to the blue paper
and commenced feeding from it as usual
The lecturer said he had experimental with
a variety of colors and found 1t was always the
case If they used bee to take honey from a
certain coler, he would always select that
color from among others. 1t was fortunate
for them that bees enjoy the same colors and
like the same smells as they did, as there
were certain flowers which were fertilized
by flies, who preferred livid yellow, dingy
sd axa1
and they were invariably accompanied by a
very disagreeable odor. Therefore, if the
majority OF flowers we're fertilzed by flies,
they would find that their gardens lost many
Of their present charms.
Alter referring to the physical action of
flowers of the class fertilized by insects, the
Lecturer went on to refer to the different
plants which repealed the visits of insects
Why were some flowers sickly and some slip
perry. and what was the use of hair upon
plants? These conditions were to repel the
visits of un welcome insects who would use
the pollen they robbed the flowers of for
fertilizing purposes. He proceeded to ex-
plain the physical adaptation of insects to
the flowers with which they are 80 nearly al
lied. Referring again to plants, he said that
they found that at certain particular hours
flowers closed. This habit of going to sleep
is very curious, and different flowers kept
different hours. The reason for it, however,
was obvious for flowers which were fortified
by moths and other night flying insects would
derive no advantage from being open by day
and, on the other hand, those fertilized by
bees would gain nothing by being open at
night.
The closing of flowers, heI believed, had
reference to the habits of insects; and it
must be confessed that the opening and clos.
ing of flowers was gradual, and that the
hours varied greatly according to circum-
stances. Although it would be possible to
construct fower-clock, he was sure in
these days it would not be of very much use,
The observations to which he had that even
ing called attention had given to flowers ad-
ditional interest, and often showed that in
sects, especially bees, had an Importance
previously unsupported. The arrangement
of colors, form, and scent of flowers, all had
reference to the visit of insects, and were dis
posed in such manner as to secure the OBJ
ject for which these visits were destined, so
that Git comes to pass that just as gardeners
by selecting seeds from the most beautiful
varieties vi flowers begat others as beautiful,
30 insects by the fertilization of the largest
and most beautiful flowers, unconsciously,
but not less effectively, contributed in large
degree to the beauties OF our woods and
felds.-London Times.