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210
The Fairy-Land of Science
·
Arabella B. Buckley
194
What
do
you
think
is
the
reason
of
this?
If
you
go
near
a
bed
of
evening
primroses
just
when
the
sun
is
setting,
you
will
soon
be
able
to
guess,
for
they
will
then
give
out
such
a
sweet
scent
that
you
will
not
doubt
for
a
moment
that
they
are
calling
the
evening
moths
to
come
and
visit
them.
The
daisy
opens
by
day,
because
it
is
visited
by
day
insects,
but
those
particular
moths
which
can
carry
the
pollen-dust
of
the
evening
primrose,
fly
only
by
night,
and
if
this
flower
opened
by
day
other
insects
might
steal
its
honey,
while
they
would
not
be
the
right
size
or
shape
to
touch
its
pollen-bags
and
carry
the
dust.
It
is
the
same
if
you
pass
by
a
honeysuckle
in
the
evening;
you
will
be
surprised
how
much
stronger
its
scent
is
than
in
the
day-
time.
This
is
because
the
sphinx
hawk-moth
is
the
favourite
visitor
of
that
flower,
and
comes
at
nightfall,
guided
by
the
strong
scent,
to
suck
out
the
honey
with
its
long
proboscis,
and
carry
the
pollen-dust.
Again,
some
flowers
close
whenever
rain
is
coming.
The
pimpernel
(Anagallis
arvensis)
is
one
of
these,
hence
its
name
of
the
"Shepherd's
Weather-glass."
This
little
flower
closes,
no
doubt,
to
prevent
its
pollen-dust
being
washed
away,
for
it
has
no
honey;
while
other
flowers
do
it
to
protect
the
drop
of
honey
at
the
bottom
of
their
corolla.
Look
at
the
daisies
for
example
when
a
storm
is
coming
on;
as
the
sky
grows
dark
and
heavy,
you
will
see
them
shrink
up
and
close
till
the
sun
shines
again.
They
do
this
because
in
each
of
the
little
yellow
florets
in
the
centre
of
the
flower
there
is
a
drop
of
honey
which
would
be
quite
spoiled
if
it
were
washed
by
the
rain.
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