The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-09-16
THE MINISTRY OF INSECTS.

I1c WlNlS nj Ur iNOCOlS.
1t has been said by some naturallsts
that "insects pay liberal wages for the
food which flowers provide for them"
And YOU will surely think so when you
know what very important duty they
are called upon to perform. This
strange service is rendered mostly by
the vast army Of flies, bees, butterflies,
and moths that are following out the
great law of nature in their unconscious
mission of love-
This law of exchange is one of the
most remarkable facts in history. First,
flowers feeding the insects, and then
the insects, becoming common ''car
riers" of the all, bearing fertihzing dust
10 them IN return. In this way mar
velous inter crossing of species Is
brought about. producing flowers of
great variety and loveliness. The
seeds Of a flower are much stronger
and better if the dust or pollen of one
is carried and left on the knob or stigma
of another, and the only way this can be
done is by the insects flying from one
flower to another, as they do, and car
Tying the dust on their legs and bodies.
A drop of honey is always provided at
the end OF the flower, and when the
insects 90 in to get this honey they
brush themselves against these yellow
dust bags, and some of the dust ad,
heres to them and when they visit The
next flower they rub it off on to its
sticky knob, and in this way the flowers
become crossed, as it is called. Now
you see what a good thing 1t Is for the
insect 10 visit The flowers. And
another curious thing is that they do
not &c, the bees in particular, to diff
erept flowers on the same journey.
They may take look at the others as
they 90 buzzing along. but they fly on
until they find the flower for which
they are hunting.
Have you ever seen the bees as they
visited the flowers, in some, like the
lark spur, staying SO long you would
think they were preparing TO make
night of it, while in other blossoms
they would stay but minute, as ii to
say, there's nothing for me thereP Just
where they stay longest for honey they
are most needed in the transfer of
pollen.
Did you know that the colors, shapes
and scents, too, are just so many bats
and traps set by nature 10 enhce
insects to come to the flower as we'll as
the honey which is secreted in varlou:
parts Of the flower, sometimes in Little
bags or glands, as III the petals OF the
buttercups, sometimes in transparent
drops, as in the honeysucklea
The gaudy poppy, the hollyhock,
sunfower, golden dandelion, the but
q. forget me not and hosts OF others hole
out their gay signs, which the insects
readily catch sight of as theypas along
in their search Tor honey.
Would you believe that bees are no
only attracted by bright /colors, bu
actually know one color from another
they do, and kno = too, just where the.
want to visit.
The scents and delicious odor:
which come from beds of mignonettt
| rosemary mint and other flowers, eve
, the small flowers OF the laurusslnus, ar
|. guides as true to attact the insects a
r the bright coloring Of the leaves. Tn
honeysuckle is one whose odor is muc
0 stronger at night, the sphinx mot
t being its favorite visitor, seeking i
S honey and carrying lis pollen. If yo
# 90 near the primroses at sunset yo
a will be surprised to find what swet
(, scent they give out, just as if they wer
a calling for some OF the night insects
l. visit them.
n How many white and dull-lookin
n flowers are sweet scented, while tt
d gaudiest, such as hollyhocks, tulip
S. fox glove and others, have little or
)t scent at all. Then there are son
as with beautiful coioring and scent cor
ID bined, and with graceful shapes, to
,e each having their visitors, who do The
rs appointed work in the world, and pc
r haps a good deal more faithfully th'
X vou and | do ours. There are ev
greater contriyances still to secure t
er insects visits; flowers open and sh
or at different times. TIE daisy opens
20 sunrise and closes at sunset, while
10 primrose opens when the daisy goes
a bed for those insects carrying OF
ID, night pollen fly only by night, and
er. with the day insects, who, of cour
by only visit the flowers they find open
his the day.
out The whole family of orchids
raj ferti.ized in this way. They are
las plants of rare beauty, most grotest
is in shape, too. Their forms grei
gs, resemble those of birds and amin