This remarkable plant is not uncommon in the Island of Bourbon, 

 growing upon trees, where it was found both by Colonel Bory de 

 St. Vincent and by the late Mons. Du Petit Thouars. It was also 

 met with at St. Mary's, Madagascar, by the unfortunate Forbes, by 

 whom the only plant that is known to exist in Europe was sent to 

 the Horticultural Society. From that plant the accompanying draw- 

 ing was made in November last, when it flowered for the first time, 

 continuing in beauty for nearly two months. It grows slowly, but is 

 in a perfectly healthy state, without, however, manifesting the smallest 

 disposition to branch, or provide means for propagating. 



It is very much to be regretted that some more efficient means 

 are not taken to procure the plants of this description, which abound 

 in all the tropical parts of the East. They are very tenacious of life, 

 and require no care in collecting, it being only necessary to strip them 

 off the trees on which they grow, and to suspend them in the cabin, 

 never watering them, but moistening them occasionally with a wet 



sponge. Captains of ships touching at the Isle of France might 

 succeed in importing them without difficulty; and yet of the nume- 

 rous species figured by Du Petit Thouars, not more than three- 

 or four have ever been seen in our gardens. The only precaution 

 that requires to be taken in importing them, is that they should not 

 be over-watered ; if this is done, they are sure to die ; it would be 

 much better to give them no water whatever. They should also, if 

 possible, be collected in the dry season, at which period they are 

 naturally in a state of torpor. 



This plant offers a striking instance of the precaution Nature 

 seems to have taken to prevent direct contact between the pollen and 

 the stigmatic surface, and at the same time of the skilful means by 

 which an indirect communication is substituted ; so that no impedi- 

 ment may really exist to the process of fertilisation, notwithstanding 

 the apparent obstacles to its taking effect. The pollen is locked up 

 in an anther so firmly united to the top of the column, that nothing 

 but actual force can remove it ; while the stigma is situated upon the 

 face of the column far beyond the reach of contact with the pollen- 

 To establish the requisite communication, a narrow slip of the top of 

 the column, proceeding from the edge of the stigma to beneath the 

 anther, gradually separates from the surrounding tissue; the face of 

 the anther opens along the middle of the cells, contracts, and allows 

 the pollen masses to glue themselves to the narrow slip, which is the 

 caudicula ; at the same time, while this operation has been in progress, 

 a triangular portion of the front of the edge of the stigma has been 

 adhering to the caudicula; and thus establishes the direct communi- 

 cation which is required, afterwards separating with the caudicula 

 under the form of the gland. From this statement it will be obvious 

 to Botanists that the caudiculae of Ophrydese, and that of Vandeae, 

 are not analogous; the former belonging to the pollen, as was de- 

 monstrated by Mr. Bauer so long since as the year 1800, and the 

 latter to the stigma. These phenomena, the progress of which we 

 remarked last winter with great care, will form the subject of two 





