. Foundations of Botany. Botany. 356 FOUNDATIONS OF BOTANY. In the common honey-bee (and in many other kinds) the greater part of the insect is hairy, and there are special collecting baskets, formed by bristle-like hairs, on the hind legs (Fig. 249). It is easy to see the load of pollen accumulated in these bas- kets after such a bee has visited several flowers. Of course the pollen which the bee packs in the baskets and carries off to the hive, to be stored for food, is of no use in pollination. In fact such pollen is in one sense entirely wasted. But since such bees as have these collect- i
. Foundations of Botany. Botany. 356 FOUNDATIONS OF BOTANY. In the common honey-bee (and in many other kinds) the greater part of the insect is hairy, and there are special collecting baskets, formed by bristle-like hairs, on the hind legs (Fig. 249). It is easy to see the load of pollen accumulated in these bas- kets after such a bee has visited several flowers. Of course the pollen which the bee packs in the baskets and carries off to the hive, to be stored for food, is of no use in pollination. In fact such pollen is in one sense entirely wasted. But since such bees as have these collect- ing baskets are the most industrious visitors to flowers, they accomplish an immense share of the work of pollination by means of the pollen grains which stick to their hairy coats and are then trans- ferred to other flowers of the same kind next visited by the bee. 427. Nectar and Nectaries. — Nectar is a sweet liquid which flowers secrete for the purpose of attracting insects. After partial digestion in the crop of the bee, nectar becomes honey. Those flowers which secrete nectar do so by means of nectar glands, small organs whose structure is something like that of the stigma, situated often near the base of the flower, as shown in Fig. 250. Sometimes the nectar clings in droplets to the surface of the nectar glands ; sometimes it is stored in little cavities or pouches Fig. 249. A, right hind leg of a honey-bee (seen from behind and within); B, the tibia, ti, seen from the outside, showing the col- lecting basket formed of stiff Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Bergen, Joseph Y. (Joseph Young), 1851-1917. Boston, Ginn & company
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