472 MR. J. p. M. WEALE OX THE STUrCTURE 



with loose leafy mould, aud they appeared to suffer from the ex- 

 ceedingly dry weather which had so long prevailed. 



On the bank were several specimeus, most of which had not 

 then blossomed. Those whicli had were, in almost every instance, 

 deprived of their pollen masses, and the thick creamy layer of 

 pollen on their pi'ojecting stigmatic surfaces show^ed how attrac- 

 tive their conspicuous blossoms were to insects. 



The plant was afterwards found growing in abundance on similar 

 spots all along the Bedford Eiver. 



The flowers possess no scent, and, although smaller, are much 

 more conspicuous than those of _S. speciosa^ and evidently depend 

 principally upon Ehopalocera for their fertilization. 



In every flower examined the nectaries were full up to their 

 mouth of a sweet viscid juice. 



In this respect, in their very conspicuous colour, and in the 

 absence of scent they appeared to differ from sjpeciosa^ Mr. Trimen's 

 remarks on the absence of nectar being confirmed by my own 

 observation. 



From tills date dow^n to the middle of September this plant was 

 found growing in abundance ; and the ovaries of withered plants 

 in every case appeared swollen with seed. 



The tiny, but robust, little Skipper Butterfly, Fyrgus Elmo, 

 was discovered one morning perfectly embarrassed from the 

 number of pollinia attached to its sternum. Owing to the close 

 contiguity of the masses, and the fact that many of the caudicles 

 are entirely bereft of their pollen, so that merely a fragment with 

 the viscid disk remains attached, lam uncertain as to the number, 

 but believe that from 9-12 remain on my specimen. 



I propose in this paper to compare this species with others 

 observed or described by other authors, and from which I believe 

 it to differ in slight details, the adaptation in this genus being 

 apparently very closely connected by a fine series of South- African 



plants. \ . '.. ■ 



Of Bonatea Saundersice Harvey remarks in vol. ii. fol. 29 of the 

 ' Thesaurus Capensia' : — 



" Of this very distinct species I have seen but a single specimen, 

 collected by Mrs. Saunders, and given by her sister. Miss Wheel- 

 wright, to the Dublin Herbarium. It is quite unlike any Soutli- 



H, 



from Peninsular India." 



very 



interesting Orchid, and to form a connecting link between it and 



