CHAPTER XXXVIII.. Importance of Bees to the Fructification of Flowers.

IMPORTANCE OF BEES TO THE FRUCTIFICATION OF FLOWERS.

Honey is regarded by modern naturalists as of no other use to plants but to allure insects, which, by visiting the nectaries of their flowers to procure it, become instrumental to their fertilization, either by scattering the dust of the stamens upon the stigmata of the same flower, or by carrying it from those which produce only male blossoms to those that bear female ones, and thereby rendering the latter fertile.

No class of insects renders so much service in this way as bees; they have however been accused of injuring vegetables, in three ways: 1st, by purloining for their combs the wax which defends the prolific dust of the anthers from rain; 2ndly, by carrying off the dust itself, as food for their young larvæ; and 3dly, by devouring the honey of the nectaries, intended to nourish the vegetable organs of fructification.

In defence of his insect protegées, +Dr. Evans+ has observed:

"First, That the proportion of wax collected from the anthers is probably very trifling, it being so readily and abundantly obtainable from honey.

"Secondly, That for any depredations committed on the farina, they amply compensate, by their inadvertent yet providential conveyance of it, on their limbs and corslets, to the female organs of monoecious or dioecious plants; whose impregnation must otherwise have depended on the uncertain winds. This is exemplified in the practice of our gardeners, who in early spring, before they dare expose their hotbeds to the open air, and consequently to the access of insects, insure the fertility of the cucumbers and melons, by shaking a male blossom over each female flower. For the same purpose, and with the same success, a gentleman in Shropshire substitutes a male blossom, in place of the female one, at the top of his embryo cucumber, which instantly adheres, and falls off in due time. To the same kind intrusion of insects we owe the numberless new sorts of esculents and endless varieties of flowers in the parterre:

'Where Beauty plays Her idle freaks; from family diffus'd To family, as flies the father dust The varied colours run.'

+Thomson+

"Thirdly, That in a great many instances, the honey-cups are completely beyond the reach of the fructifying organs, and cannot possibly be subservient to their use. Hence +Sir J. E. Smith+ believes the honey to be intended, by its scent, to allure these venial panders to the flowers, and thereby shows how highly he estimates their value to vegetation. See his Introduction to Botany. In the same work, the author observes that +Sprengel+ has ingeniously demonstrated, in some hundreds of instances, how the corolla serves as an attraction to insects, indicating by various marks, sometimes perhaps by its scent, where they may find honey, and accommodating them with a convenient resting-place or shelter while they extract it. This elegant and ingenious theory receives confirmation from almost every flower we examine. Proud man is disposed to think that

'Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,'

because he has not deigned to explore it; but we find that even the beauties of the most sequestered wilderness are not made in vain. They have myriads of admirers, attracted by their charms, and rewarded by their treasures, which would be as useless as the gold of a miser, to the plant itself, were they not the means of bringing insects about it."

Thus the bee, by settling upon and collecting honey from a thousand different flowers, is thereby assisting the great purpose of vegetable reproduction, at the same time that the loads she carries home enable her to construct receptacles for the reproduction of her own race.

"For the due fertilization of the common Barberry, it is necessary that its irritable stamens should be brought into contact with the pistil, by the application of some stimulus to the base of the filament; but this would never take place were not insects attracted, by the melliferous glands of the flower, to insinuate themselves amongst the filaments, and thus, while seeking their own food, unknowingly to fulfil the intentions of Nature in another department." In some cases the agency of the hive-bee is inadequate to produce the required end; in these the humble-bee is the operator: these alone, as Sprengel has observed, are strong enough for instance, to force their way beneath the style-flag of the Iris Xiphium, which in consequence is often barren. Other insects besides bees are instrumental in producing the same ends; indeed they are necessary instruments: and hence according to the same naturalist, in some places, where the particular insect required is not to be met with, no fruit is formed upon the plant which is usually visited by it, where it is indigenous; for he supposes that some plants have particular insects appropriated to them. The American Aristolochia Sipho, though it flowers plentifully, never forms fruit in our gardens, probably for the reason just assigned. The Date Palm affords a striking instance of the necessity of extraneous intervention to perfect fructification; male and female flowers are borne on separate trees, and unless the two sorts be in the neighbourhood of each other, the fruit has no kernel and is not proper for food. There was a tree of this kind, bearing female flowers, at Berlin, for the fructification of which, a branch, with male flowers upon it, was once sent by post from Leipsic, (20 German miles,) and being suspended over some of the pistils, the tree afterwards yielded fruit and seed in abundance. +Professor Willdenow+ has stated a very curious circumstance, concerning the Aristolochia Clematitis. He observes that the stamens and pistils of the flower are inclosed in its globular base, the anthers being under the stigma, which thereby requires the intervention of an insect, to convey the pollen to it. The Tipula pennicornis accomplishes this object; it enters the flower by its tubular part, which is thickly lined with inflected hairs, so as readily to admit the fly, but totally to prevent its release, till by the fading of the corolla the hairs have fallen flat against its sides. Hence the insect in struggling to effect its escape, brushes off the pollen and applies it to the stigma, thereby accomplishing the fertilization of the flower.

INDEX.

Page. Anatomy of the bee 249 The head 251 The proboscis ib. lips 253 tongue ib. pharynx 254 œsophagus or gullet ib. mandibles 255 maxillæ ib. antenna 255, 292, 307 palpi 256, 308 eyes 256 The trunk 250, 256 The wings 256 legs 257 The abdomen 251, 258 The honey-bag 258 venom-bag ib. anus ib. ovipositor ib. sting ib. organs of reproduction ib. Anger of bees 288 not apt to be excited at a distance from home 290 fatal consequences of 288 Animation of bees suspended 202 Antennæ 255, 292, 307 effects of their excision 309 organs for communicating information 292 for receiving meteorological intelligence ib. Antipathies of bees 303 Ants, anecdotes respecting 183, 205 (Amazon) anecdote of 323 enslaved 324 their milch cattle 74 white, wonderful fertility of 40 Aphides 72 principal source of honey-dew ib. their willing subserviency to bees and ants 75 wonderful fertility of 32 Apiary 48 best aspect for ib. Bonner's 51 circumstances to be avoided in 48 to be desired in ib. Apparatus for deprivation 107 Architecture of bees 339 commencement and progress of a comb first observed by Huber 340 construction of a cell 340 of cells of transition 353 of drone-cells 350 of royal-cells 351 geometrical accuracy of cell-work 342 demonstrated by Maraldi, Kœnig, and McLaurin 346 honey-comb, description of 352 varnish for strengthening cell-work 344 Armour of defence against bees, &c. 175 Aurelia. Vide Pupa.

Bee, honey, comprises three descriptions of individuals 1 Bee, anatomy of. Vide Anatomy. Bee-boxes 83 compared with hives 100 dimensions of 83 Dunbar's 102 observations therein 103 history of 109 Huber's 102 Hunter's ib. materials for, best 83 Gedde's 111 Hartlib's 110 Mew's ib. Reaumur's 102 Thorley's 111 Warder's ib. White's ib. centre-boards 88 floor boards 87 reference to venders of 89 Bee bread 9, 371 dress 175 eater of Selborne 337 flowers. Vide Pasturage. house 52 shed 99 Bees, adherence of to life 202 anger of 288 protection against 177 animation of, suspended 201 antipathies of 303 attachment to queen 140 ballasting themselves (erroneous) 48 black 7 brooding (erroneous) 6 build combs sometimes under resting boards 125 their contests with each other 289 by single combat ib. by general engagement ib. corsair 207 death, sudden, from effluvia of Rhus Vernix 197 diseases of. Vide Diseases of Bees. drone. Vide Drones. duration, extraordinary, of a colony 298 education of 260 embryo 10 development of, affected by temperature 14 enemies of. Vide Enemies of Bees. evolution of ab ovo 10 excursions of 377 exotic. Vide Exotic Bees. excrement of 188, 194 fructifiers of flowers. Vide Fructification of Flowers. generation, absurd theory of 35, 48 harvest season of 119 impatient of cold 114 indisposition to ascend with their works 112 instincts of. Vide Instincts of Bees. intellect of 319 intoxicated sometimes 60 language of. Vide Language of Bees. longevity of 296 mode of approaching 177 mortality of, extraordinary in 1762 186 numbers in a hive 3 number of stocks in some situations 234, 235 nymph 12 origin, ancient notion of 48 overstocking of 235 perspiration of 273 poison of 286 in the pupa state 12 purchase of 80 queen. Vide Queen. regurgitating power of 229 removal from hives to boxes 148 respiration of 266 scouts. Vide Providers. secretions of 273 senses of. Vide Senses. sexes of 20 sleep of 295 stinging of 284 stingless 210 stock, criterions of a good one 81 suffocation of 174 sulphuring of ib. swarming of. Vide Swarming of Bees. swarming, not apt to sting 138 striking instance of it 139 of the contrary ib. transportation of. Vide Transportation. wax 220 average quantity in a hive 221 criterions of good 220 difference from myrtle wax 224 annual consumption of 222 secretion of, promoted by electricity 232 separation of from honey 216 source and nature of. Vide Source and Nature of Bees-wax, white 221 working 3 collectors from birth 15 compared with drones 5 destroy the drones 44 fertile sometimes 23 office of 3 sex of 3, 24 Cuvier's remarks on 24 Jurine's dissections of ib. usual number in a hive 3 Braggot, or common mead 245 Breeding, commencement of 37 signs of 118 early, to promote 119 Hubbard's opinion of 117

Cells, construction of. Vide Architecture. Chrysalis. Vide Pupa. Circulation 271 Clustering 123 Cocoons 11, 12 Cold, effect of on bees 117 in diminishing the consumption of honey 185 Combs, construction of 340 constructed sometimes under resting-boards 125 Comparative advantages of storifying and single-hiving 122 of wooden boxes and straw-hives 100

Deprivation 162 to be exercised cautiously 163 possible accident at the time of 165 modes of performing 167 Isaac's 170 Keys's 170 Dovaston's 171 Evans's 172 proper periods for 162 Diseases of bees 184 Dysentery 188 Vertigo 189 Tumefaction of Antennæ 192 Pestilence or Faux Couvain ib. probable causes of ib. remedies ib. preventive 195 review of different theories of ib. Dividers and other implements 107 their use in deprivation 167 Drones, their use 5, 30 evolution of ab ovo 14 massacre of 43 how effected 44 not found in all swarms 4 number usual in a hive 3 occasional preservation of 44 sitting upon the eggs 6 opinion of Mr. Morris ib. of Fabricius ib. of Kirby and Spence ib. Dunbar's observations in his mirror-hive 8, 21

Eggs--drone, royal, worker 8 first laying of 37 great laying of 116 misplaced, devoured by workers 42 number of, laid in a given period 39, 40 period at which each sort is laid 37 transportation, opinion of 42 worker, may be rendered royal 19 Electricity, effect on secretion of wax and honey 232 Enemies of bees 199 protection against 203 Excrement of bees 188, 194 Exotic bees 210 their honey-cells ib. of Guadaloupe ib. Guiana 211 India ib. South America ib. Basil Hall's Account ib. Eye of the bee, peculiar construction of. Vide Senses. 312

Farina 370 collecting of 371 time of 372 confined to one species of flower on each journey 373 Reaumur's opinion ib. Dobbs, Butler and Sprengel's 373, 374 conveyance of 372 food of larvæ, and not the constituent of wax 371 fructifying power of 370 preparation of for use 371 source of 370 storing of 373 structure of 370 Fading 179 importance of 193 syrup for ib. modes of ib. times of 152 Fermentation, conduct of 240 Fertility of insects 32, 40 Flies in Madeira wine 201 Fly, flesh, erroneous judgement respecting 306 Food of larvæ 10 Fructification of flowers 380 instrumentality of bees to that end ib. bees attracted to flowers by their nectar ib. accused by Dr. Darwin of injuring flowers ib. defended by Dr. Evans ib. Opinion of Sir J. E. Smith 382 of Sprengel 383 not the only insects that promote fructification ib. in the Barberry for instance, the Iris Xiphium, the Aristolochia Sipho of America, the A. Clematitis, and the Date Palm ib.

Hawk-moth, Death's Head 208 ravages committed by it in the apiary ib. resources of the bees ib. Hearing, sense of. Vide Sensation, organs of; and Senses. Hives 95 Chelmsford and Hertford 96 compared with boxes 100 construction of, best 97 dimensions of 96 distances at which they should stand from each other 49 Dunbar's 102 his observations therein 103 heat occasional in 39 usual in ib. materials proper for 95 leaf 102 Moreton 96 Huber's 91 Huish's 90 preparation of 137 Reaumur's 93 situation proper for 49 straw 96 Thorley's 92 Wildman's 93 with glasses ib. Hiving of swarms 136 Super- and Nadir- 124, 151 Honey 226 analysis of 233 animalization of 227 candying of 196 contrivances of bees to keep it in open cells 228 Corsican, not mulcted by the Romans 63 criterions of good 232 deleterious 65, 190, 230 flavour affected by pasturage 65, 229 by season 232 by mode of separation ib. harvests of 165 preservation of 233 qualities of 231 quantity required for winter consumption 162 average afforded by a colony 226 sometimes taken ib. secretion of, promoted by electricity 232 separation of, from wax 216 taken by means of dividers 167 Honeycomb 339 Honey-dew 71 ancient opinions of 71 modern ditto 72 Gilbert White's 71 Dr. Evans's 72 Dr. Darwin's ib. Mr. Curtis's ib. Sir J. E. Smith's 73 Boissier de Sauvages's 79 trees addicted to it 77 yields a great harvest to the storifyer 78 Humble-bees 207, 209, 319, 327 Humming, causes of 270

Idiot bee-eater 337 Imago 13 Implements, bee 107 Impregnation. Vide Queen. Instinct 318 definition of 335 most remarkable in creatures that congregate 318 of humble-bees ib. all the phænomena of insect life not referable to it 322 Darwin's opinion 323 Hunter's 330 Virey's 331 Des Cartes' ib. Buffon's ib. circumstance noticed by Dr. Evans 325 by Mr. Walond 236 Huber's humble-bees 327 Amazon ants 323 bee fortifications 328 anecdote of a beetle 330 Instinct may be directed by intellect 333 modified and counteracted by intellect ib. instanced in birds' nests ib. in Sir J. Banks's spider 332 in dogs 333 Maraldi's Slug 320 Reaumur's Snail 319 Reimar's opinion of memory 333 weakened by domestication 336 strengthened by concentration ib. Intellect of bees 319 capable of modifying and counteracting instinct 333 capable of directing instinct ib.

Jelly, royal 20 Jurine, Miss, dissections of 24

Knowledge distinguished from Wisdom 334

Language of bees 291 Mr. Knight's opinion ib. M. Huber's ib. his experiments ib. Larvæ 10 food of ib. progressive growth of 12 motions of 15 voraciousness of 12 inclosure or sealing up of 11 commencement of spinning cocoon ib. worker may become royal 19 Leaf-hives 102 Dunbar's 103 Huber's 105 Hunter's 102 Reaumur's ib. Leaven, artificial 242 natural 240, 242 Locusts, female, destroyed by males 46 Longevity of bees 296 extraordinary duration of a colony 298

Mead, antiquity of 236 Braggot, or common 245 directions for making 244 esteemed by our ancestors 237 ideal nectar of the Scandinavians ib. Memory of bees 260, 314 Reimar's opinion 333 Metys 378 Mortality among bees and wasps 186 Moth-wax 199 eggar, anecdote of 306 hawk. Vide Hawk-moth. Motions of insects 274 instances of extraordinary power of 275

Nadir-hiving 124, 151 Nutrition 272 Nymph 12 resemblance to a mummy 13

Palpi 256 Pasturage 55 effect on the flavour of honey 66, 230 ancient opinion of 65 Barthelemy's ib. Duppa's 230 noxious 67, 230 Xenophon's opinion of 67 Tournefort's ib. Darwin's opinion of 68 Barton's 68, 231 Pellets, moulding of 372 Perspiration 273 Pissoceros 378 Poison of Bees 286 its nature ib. crystallizes in drying ib. Pollen. Vide Farina. Propolis 375 analysis of ib. mode of conveying 376 source of ib. Huber's experiments ib. Evans's observations 377 Knight's 378 form of its pellets 377 variously compounded with wax 378 time of gathering 379 uses of 375 substitutes sometimes used for 378 Reaumur's experiment ib. Providers, or Scouts 131 Warder's opinion of 132 Butler's ib. Knight's ib. Evans's ib. Duchet's ib. Reaumur's ib. Buffon's ib. Bonnet's ib. Huber's ib. Bonner's 135 Pupa 12 resemblance of to a mummy 13

Queen-bees, artificial 20 discovery attributed to Schirach ib. said to have been long known 20 opinions of Vogel and Monticelli ib. experiment of Dunbar 22 not mute as Huber supposed 23 attachment of workers to 141 enmity towards, and combats with each other 281 evolution of ab ovo 14 homage paid to 144 impregnation of 25 opinions concerning ib. Bonner's 28 Bonnet's 29 Butler's 36 Debraw's 27 Dobbs's 26 Fleming's 32 Hattorf's 28 Huber's 27, et seq. Huish's 27 Hunter's 30, 33 Linnæus's 33 Lombard's 29 Maraldi's 26 Reaumur's 26 Schirach's 28 Swammerdam's 25 Wildman's 36 objections to Huber's theory ib. impregnation retarded 37, 41 intercourse with drones 30, et seq. probable duration of fertilizing influence 31 laying, commencement of 37 affected by temperature ib. loss of, its consequences 144 mode of depositing eggs 8 mode of searching for when a stock has been suffocated 174 mutilated, lose their instincts 309 prescience (supposed) of 118 prisoners when very young 17 reason of this ib. virgin, when first seek the drones 34 voice of, authoritative 128 when imprisoned 19

Reason, human, definition of 335 insect, definition of ib. presumptive evidence of 322 difference between human and insect 335 observations of Reid 356 of Evans ib. Regurgitating power of bees 229 Reimar's opinion of memory 333 Reproduction, organs of 275 ovaries 276 oviducts ib. ovipositor 277 sperm-reservoir ib. Respiration, organs of 266 evidences of their existence 267 stigmata, spiracles or breathing pores 266 tracheæ ib. Riem's discovery 3

Salt, of use to bees 186 Schirach's discovery 20 Scouts. Vide Providers. Secretions of bees 273 Sensation of bees 258 medium of its communication 259 its seat ib. bees have a common sensorium ib. evidences of it ib. protracted vitality ib. memory 260 instances of ib. Reimar's opinion of 333 susceptible of instruction 261 instances of ib. organs of 258 antennæ 262 opinions of their offices ib. facts in support of them 263 palpi ib. uses ascribed to ib. Senses of bees 302 smell ib. instances of its acuteness 303, et seq. touch 307 analogy from ants 291 taste 309 hearing 310 evidences of ib. sight 311 not very perfect ib. Dr. Virey's theory 316 Sensorium 259 Separation of wax and honey 216 Shed for bees 99 Sleep of bees 295 Source of bees-wax 356 Source and nature of bees-wax; pollen formerly supposed to be the prime constituent of it 356 striking difference between them ib. wax proved to be a secretion from the body of the bee 362 experiments and observations of Huber, Thorley, Duchet, Wildman, Hunter and Evans 362, et seq. regular division of labour 367 hence wax-working and nursing-bees ib. experiment to show the designation of pollen ib. other sources of wax 368 Sphinx Atropos. Vide Hawk-moth. Spider, anecdotes of 261 fertilization of 31 Sir Joseph Banks's 332 Stemmata 315 experiments of Swammerdam, Reaumur, &c. 315 Sting of working-bee 277 fatal consequences attending its use 278, 283 not apt to be used when the bee is distant from home 289 of queen-bee 279 her cautious use of it 286 compared with sharp instruments ib. Stinging, remedies for 284 precautions against, when attacked 285 Storifying 109 will not always prevent swarming 124 compared with single-hiving 122 Suffocating or sulphuring of bees 174 Sugar an excellent substitute for honey 360 Super-hiving 124, 151 Swarming 115 causes of ib. usual periods of 119 best periods of ib. instance of very early ib. disadvantages of early and late 120 heat produced by 39, 273 bees not apt to sting at this time 138 striking instance of this 139 instance to the contrary ib. importance of queen at the time 140 experiments in proof of it 141, et seq. Swarms, number thrown off in a season 115 intervals betwixt successive 116 hiving of 136 union of 154 causes of 115 period usual of 118 best 119 early ib. late ib. led off by senior queen 31 symptoms preceding 127 Syrup for feeding bees 179

Temperature of a well-stocked hive of bees 274 occasional ditto ib. Touch 307 Transportation of bees 159 Isaac's success from ib. practised in Egypt, France, Italy and Greece 159-161

Union of swarms or stocks 154 Mr. Walond's method of 157 methods practised by others 154

Ventilation 268 how accomplished ib. Vitality protracted 259

Wax. Vide Bees-wax. myrtle 223 its difference from bees-wax 224 pockets 365 working-bees 366 Wasps, formidable enemies of bees 199 importance of destroying queens in spring 45, 206 fact respecting them noticed by Mr. Knight 290 extraordinary dearth of in 1806, 1815 and 1824 186 Wildman's feats 155 Wine-making, general principles of 240 elements necessary to its formation 240 sweet ib. dry 241 fining 246 stumming ib. Wisdom as distinguished from Knowledge 334 Working-bees. Vide Bees.

THE END.

-------------------------- Printed by Richard Taylor, Shoe-Lane, London.

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Transcriber Note

Minor typographical errors were corrected. Hyphenation was standardized to the most prevalent form used. The poetry authors were moved to a blank line and right aligned.