, 1909-08-07

tins tube l6aQ Tor w Z "a 6AC 49,
base and we see a little tiny hole hal leads
INTO tbo small enclosure made by tue close
STANDING stamens already mentioned. Ihersls
no other way of reaching this enclosure except
down the tube made by the curjed up petal
ona tbrongb the httle hole. Is there any
thing in the enclosure which makes 1t de-
sirabIe that it should be reached Yes,
there is. there is honey, or at all events sweet
nectar from which honey 10 made. The
botanists call the little chamber the ltectHFy
and in it's cells the sweet fluid Is made. Bees
want nectar to make their honey, but they
will get noue here she wall made by the
Understanding stGnens bars the way. The
flower thus pr0cIaims that mo bees need
apply - they cannot get III, anu 40, not
withstanding the attractlyene8s OF the great
punches of glowing blooms OF the PolnclHn",
YOU will never see a bee around them the
bee. though never refusing good business,
il too wise to waste his time Ia useless APP
plications for q job.
Bees could no, help tha flower, but the butt
terfy is lust the creature that can DO 1t, tor
whom the butterfly comes to the flower ana
hovers in front OF 1t, his body will lake up
the pollen from the surface of the anthers
living open and upturned beneath him, amt
will enable the stigma OF the next pOlnclana
flower at which he arrives to take III
its turn some of the pollen from his body.
But what inducement has the butterfly to un-
dertake this task He has every induce
ment, for he lives on nectar and mere Isl
supply;and he is furnished with q beautiful ap-
pliance for drawing up his liquid food, a hne
Tube or siphon which he carries with him
coiled up beneath his head and which he
uncoils and throws out in front Of him rs
IL H. Q--,v. O, fl,a HOGvQrFa Ito
the b|eautiful prince of the petals acts as his
guide and shows him just where his siphon
is to pass in order to reach the cupboard OF
good stuff inside. What more can he want
So he comes ut the attractive call Of the
prince Of the stamens, follows his guidance,
and has a fine time as he lutterA from flower
to flower, and rs o return service for the
liberal treatment he receives carries about
the pollen from anther to stigma IN all
directions and so helps the tree to bring its
seeds to perfection and hence to spread It's
kind.
But. may be. q reader to whom such
statements are new asks: How does the
butterfly help the flower, since he only gets
the pollen as far as the stigma, where 1t IS
still distant from the oynry by the whole
length of the style ? This is so reasonable
A question that we may be sure that many
learned botanists. with good hends and
good eyes assisted by tirst-class microscopes,
have given it their attention. What they
tell US is in part as follows, Each Of the
little pollen grains, though looking like o
mere spock Of yellow dust, IS in reality a most
elaborate apparatus. After it has landed on
the stigma it opens at one or more points,
and from the openings long threads grow
out, and make their way down among the
cells Of the style till they reach the ovary.
Here these marvellous threads (the pollen
tubos) come into contact with the tiny ovuIes,
which after such contact (but not otherwise)
will grow to seeds.
II we watch q poinciana tree in flower in
the warm part of the day we shall frequently
see butterflies lowering over the flowers as
described, commonly it is the large butterfly
with dark wings barred with yellow, but it
is occasionally some other kind.
A curious fact remains to be noticed. After
the prince of the stamens has finished his
task Of attracting and guiding the butterfly,
and the pollen has been carried to the flow
or SO that fertilization of the little ovules
can take place, he curls in his sides SO as
entirely to hide the beautiful part of his
face with these sides, which are red b ,th in