They thus acquire quickness
in going at once to the nectar, and the change of colour in the flower,
or incipient withering when fertilised, enables them to avoid those
flowers that have already had their honey exhausted. It is probably to
assist the insects in keeping to one flower at a time, which is of vital
importance to the perpetuation of the species, that the flowers which
bloom intermingled at the same season are usually very distinct both in
form and colour. In the sandy districts of Surrey, in the early spring,
the copses are gay with three flowers--the primrose, the wood-anemone,
and the lesser celandine, forming a beautiful contrast, while at the
same time the purple and the white dead-nettles abound on hedge banks. A
little later, in the same copses, we have the blue wild hyacinth (Scilla
nutans), the red campion (Lychnis dioica), the pure white great starwort
(Stellaria Holosteum), and the yellow dead-nettle (Lamium Galeobdolon),
all distinct and well-contrasted flowers. In damp meadows in summer we
have the ragged robin (Lychnis Floscuculi), the spotted orchis (O.
Pages:
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593