The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-06
BEES AS BURGLARS.
They Rob Flowers of Sweets In
tended for Butterflies.
THE BLUE oENTIANs DEFRAuDEo
Insects Have Learned Roguery Faster
Than the Blossoms Have Ac-
CURED Means OF Defense.
EN- Hardinse in New York Eveaing Post

=.
the laborers are wind, rain, frost and sun
shine. In these cloud-girt gardens, by
myriads and nyriads, the blue gentians
blow. The breezes perhaps carry the news
of their beauty and sweetness down to the
under world, and the bees come up TO visit
them from far-off valley nests and hives.
The bees enterprise is more commendable
than their honesty, for the honey in the
gentians is not intended for them; the
flowers are trying 20 reserve II for the but
terfiies, in cups so slender and deep that
bees cannot reach it by straightforward
methods. They know this, aud they waste
no time at the top of the blossom, but fiy
straight 10 the base, gnaw hole through
the blue corolla, and reach after the honey
from the outside.
The gentians have guarded against
thieving inroads of ants by various de-
vices. At the entrances to the flower
tubes are fringes to entangle the maraud-
ers, or thickets of fuzz 10 battle them, and
one species has q little trap-door cum
ningly arranged to shut them out. But,
despite these contriyances. the flower is
unable to save its sweets for the butter
flies. Il succeeds in battling the ants, to
be sure, but il is outwitted and defrauded
by the bees.
The blossoms of my garden are not
more fortunate, nor are the bees which
visit here more honorable than their
Swiss relations. The nasturtium is
plundered and pillaged in shameful
manner. Its honey is in the base of the
long horn, or spur, which projects below
and behind the flower. This is a
feast prepared for the butter
flies. When one of them visits the
nasturtium. he perches on the lowest
petal. which projects forward and forms
convenient alighting board for him.
Standing there, much at his ease, he can
push his long proboscis into the bottom of
the spur. and in so doing he must brush
against the stamens, which, when ripe, pro-
ject beyond the mouth of the fower-tnbe.
Some pollen adheres TO his yelvety head,
and when he visits another nasturtium he
will probably run against the pistil in such
q way IS TO leave part OF this load of gold
dust upon it. He thus acts as messenger
for the nasturtiums, and honestly earns
the nectar which they bestow.
But the bee eontrives to get their
honey without doing stroke of work
for them in return. The sight of the
great pocketful of sweets Is tempta-
ton TOO strong for her to resist, and
she gets possession OF the contents by
ingenuity. coupled with fraud. The pro-
boscis IS too short TO reach down 70 the
honey, and the spur IS so mar
row that she can not possibly crawl
down inside il TO gather the sweets stored
in its depths. So she gnaws 3 hole in it
from the outside and helps herself to its
whole contents. Thus she at once deprives
the flower OF the means of hospitality and
disappoints the butterfly of its luncheon
She has not touched the starnens nor the
pistil. She has neither brought any pollen
with her nor helped TO carry any away.
The nectar which she takes is not earned.
but stolen Weigssa rosec, the preSty shrub
which grows in everyhody's garden, is
robbed in the same manner by humble
bees. Each May the bush decks itself
with , profusion OF flowers In shape
like those of yellow jesssmine. When they
open. they are creamy white, with touches
of pink on the outside; as they grow
older they turn deep pink inside and out
At this stage they generally bear scars re-
sulting from the abuse which they have
received. II We gather cluster of the
flowers we shall see that three out Of i've
are marked. st the base of the corolls. with
one or two short brown lines. and on
closer examination these prove TO be cuts
made by hUmhle-bees. Honey-bees have
no temptation TO deal thus unfairly with
the Heise!a, for they are small enough TO
so into the flower and get the honey in the
correct way. When we see the honey bees
among the nasturtiuns, however, we find
81 49, ~f-E~T 49,
stoutsr cousins
The houeysueklss are pierced and plum
Gered after the same fashion. The fresh
blossoms unfold about sunset and breathe
forth fragrance which grows more Snd
more sweet as dusk closes In. This is
mute invitation TO the humming-hird
hswk-uoth, the vines chosen messenger.
Some flowers are vet unviSltsd when dawn
puts Al end 20 his night OF reyelry, and
these remain open through the day, and
Did Tor the attentions OF the sur-l0ying
butterflies But the bee Is 4 very early
riser. she comes hesimeS 20 the honey
SuekteS feast, though she Is neither ex-
pseted nor wanted, and the butterfly ar
rlyeS only 20 ind that the nectarv has
been enlpsIed through ! breach In It's deli
cate wall. Vet the honeysackge stores It's
sweets IN very deep and slender vases, On
purpose TO keep them out Of reach Of al
insects save moths and butterflies.
All the flowers OF which we have sroksa
are highly adapted fer insect fertiliza-
ton, but nature, 1t seems. has neglected
20 take tew lass precautions. and for lsck
O. snsSe u someone's happens that al her
plans, pains and coatrivancss are set st
n2GgGt- The insects have learned rogusry
faster than the flowers have learned DE-
tence-as the burglars n the human world
have become more proficient than the
loc&snlIshs-
These piLiaged aowers present a prob
len 70 the eyol1tiorist. How Is IL that.
y bile every one OF these blossoms has
adapted Itself II 50 many wavs TO The
needs and tastes of It's own insect srfeni.
noae OF them have evolved aav scheme 70
save itself from ROBBERY and rain st lsss.
The common geranium knows q trick
worta two Of the improbable SIlu-enents
or these thrfftlsSS flowers, and keers its
store Of honey securely guarded from all
lnSect vagabondS. In the gsraniura the
Money Is * she bottom OF 4 little well
supports the flower. Whas seems the
stem ot each single BLOSSOM Is really >
co2eAaatloa Of stalk and hoaev-besrSng
spur, "kaS1s or the TWO upper petals of =
single gsEarllE.h saws Grant Afasr, sand
yco VIII see thai behind then yhere lies q
deep po1ch or s0ee running alCzr the top
CT TIE a0ssE stalk. Cut the stalss sc-oss,
AMI yoa VIII ind Il hollow On rha top .
cat ls down lergthwlSs and Il VOC, fs,fTsy
ID Sse tube throughout its whole len~sa.
You w1I learn that L leads 81 lass 70 . drop
ef honey
The nectar Is 50 clsvszly concealed that
TIE insect cannot divine It's whe-esh,sIr.s
unless be calls. with proper esrsmony. az
ne entrance 70 the blossom. then TIE
irreS@lariLy 81 tAe petals serves as s guide
% nlIa- The upper pair sre s.lsA5fv rsiseS
70 lar -