| → The nectar may be 1869 1872 |
| with the nectar 1866 |
|
| → a case of extraordinary 1869 1872 |
| an acme of perfect 1866 |
|
| → part of its 1869 1872 |
| its 1866 |
|
| → this chamber 1869 1872 |
| which and outside 1866 |
|
| → not in order 1869 1872 |
| in the early morning, and they came, not 1866 |
|
| → chamber above the bucket; 1869 1872 |
| bucket; 1866 |
|
| → being thus wetted 1869 1872 |
| were wetted, so that 1866 |
|
|
though very different, plan occurs in many
in which a symmetrical flower secretes a few drops of nectar, and is consequently visited by insects; and these carry the pollen from the anthers to the stigma. |
|
| From this simple stage we may pass through an
number of contrivances, all for the same purpose and effected in essentially the same manner, but entailing changes in every part of the
→The nectar may be
stored in variously shaped receptacles, with the stamens and pistils modified in many ways, sometimes forming trap-like contrivances, and sometimes capable of neatly adapted movements through irritability or elasticity. From such structures we may advance till we come to such
→a case of extraordinary
as
lately
described by Dr. Crüger in the
Coryanthes. This orchid has
→part of its
labellum or lower lip hollowed out into a great bucket, into which drops of almost pure
continually fall from two secreting horns which stand above it; and when the bucket is half full, the water overflows by a spout on one side. The basal part of the labellum
over the bucket, and is itself hollowed out into a sort of chamber with two lateral
within
→this chamber
there are
curious fleshy ridges. |
|
| The most ingenious man, if he had not witnessed what takes place, could never have imagined what purpose all these parts
But Dr. Crüger saw crowds of large humble-bees visiting the gigantic flowers of this
→not in order
to suck nectar, but to gnaw off the ridges
the
→chamber above the bucket;
in doing this they frequently pushed each other into the bucket, and
their wings
→being thus wetted
they could not fly
but
to crawl out through the passage formed by the spout or overflow. Dr. Crüger
a "continual procession" of bees thus
|
