396 MR. H. J. VEITCH ON THE 
tion of the ovules, and to determine the time that elapses between 
pollination and that event; and, finally, to trace the development 
of the ovules after fertilization into perfect seeds. 
Before giving a résumé of our observations, it is necessary to 
state that we worked under the serious disadvantage of being 
confined, for such work, to a low microscopic power ; that, with 
the exception of a little glycerine, we used no chemical reagents 
in preparing materials for examination ; and therefore very many 
details of the minute structure of the parts examined are neces- 
sarily omitted. It is also necessary to premise that these obser- 
vations were undertaken and made before we became aware of 
the fact that the subject had been partially investigated many 
years ago by Dr. Hildebrand in the Botanic Garden at Bonn, 
the results of whose observations were published in Mohl and 
Schlechtendal’s ‘Botanische Zeitung’ for October 30 and No- 
vember 6, 1863. Dr. Hildebrand there tells us that, incited by 
Darwin’s most interesting researches, he was induced, during 
the winter and spring months of 1863, to undertake a series of 
observations on some cultivated and also on some native orchids, 
with the object of ascertaining the time that elapses between the 
pollination of the flower and the fertilization of the ovule, an 
investigation that appeared to him to be pregnant with unex- 
pected results, seeing that the sexual apparatus of orchids differs 
so greatly from that of the great majority of other Phanerogams. 
Forthe results of these investigations I must refer to the memoirs 
quoted. Much of the ground, therefore, having been previously 
travelled over by Dr. Hildebrand, I am afraid that the simple 
facts 1 am about to bring before the Society have not altogether 
the merit of novelty to recommend them ; yet they may prove to 
be of some interest, and serve to revive the subject of the fertili- 
zation of orchids, which still offers a wide field for investigation. 
The subject selected for our object was the well-known Cattleya 
labiata, var. Mossie, Lindl., because we could command a good 
many plants for investigation, and because also in this Cattleya 
the column and its parts are among the largest to be found in 
the Orchidee; we hoped that the probability of our being 
able to prosecute our search with some chance of obtaining results 
would thence be the greater. The chief characteristics of the 
column of a Cattleya of the labiata group are sufficiently familiar 
to most botanists. The column of one of the members of the 
group, apparently of the same that forms our present subject, 
