Why do they call it the "Birds and the Bees"?

Question

In films (and indeed life) when a child asks for information on relationships an adult will often say "didn't ur mom tell you about the birds and the bees?" or "let me tell you about the birds and the bees". Where did this phrase start, and how come? to my mind, birds and bees have little to do with relationships, and thus serve as an unuseful metaphor for the subject.

Answer 1

The ancient aztecs believed that if a bird was stung by a bee it could bear a human child the size of a grapefruit...it sounds crazy but it has happpened....

Answer 2

cause women always give me the bird when i ask for a little honey?

Answer 3

It goes waaayyy back to the old days when the men were birds (flying free, spreading the seeds, etc.), and women were like the queen bees (stayed home at the nest, pollenate the flower, etc.).

Nowadays of course, due to the recession, its common for bees to get a job and help birds make ends meet! : )