400 MR. H. J. VEITCH ON THE 
enlarged at and over the stigmatic chamber, and a change of 
colour, owing to their full exposure to the light, was perceptible 
in the epiderm. Nectar had freely exuded from the base of the 
column, and had spread itself over the ovary ; the disintegration 
of the pollinia was seen to have advanced considerably, and pollen- 
tubes had pushed down into the canal to about a quarter of an 
inch below the stigmatie chamber. The flower fertilized with 
the Lelia-pollen was somewhat less advanced than the other two. 
An interval of four days was then allowed to elapse before a 
further examination was made. By that time the floral segments 
had become quite withered, and the change of colour in the epi- 
derm of the column had become more manifest; at first, the 
ridge along the top was dull purple, but the sides were pale 
green. Transverse and longitudinal sec- 
tions of the column and ovary showed 
that the tubes emitted from the pollen- 
granules had increased immensely in 
numbers, and the foremost of them could 
be traced as far as the base of the column. 
Fig. 6 represents roughly the state of 
affairs at this epoch; the pollen-tubes, 
as observed under a magnifying-power 
of about 75 diameters, are here seen 
passing downwards among the elongated MET 
cells of the conducting-tissue in vast |/MV 9M 
numbers. | 
Four more days were again allowed to | 
elapse before a further examination was | 
made (June 9-12) ; the weather in the 
mean timehaving been clearand warm and 
the pollinated flowers having been fully 
exposed to direct suulight, we expected ` 
to fiud that tbe process of fertilization had 
considerably advanced. The columns | | 
had now become much harder in texture || 
and green in colour; the gelatinous 
mass in the stigmatic chantber had parted 
with much of its viscidity, and was 
changing to a rusty-brown colour; the TM 
ovaries were perceptibly enlarged, and pollen-tubes could be 
clearly traced to their entrance, and a few of the more advanced ; 
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