22 
shaped anther reaches its place in the sinws between the lobes of the 
compound stigma. This movement is soon followed by that of the 
remaining alternate stamens until all the six recesses of the stigma 
are occupied. The rise of the stamens is not rapid or simultaneous, 
nor does any particular order seem to prevail as regards the indi- 
vidual stamens of this set. The interval between the erection of 
the first and last of the six seems to vary from 8 to 30 hours. In 
nearly every instance, the anther cells burst as soon as, or before 
the upward movement begins. 
The last stamen of the first set of six now having arisen, an 
interval elapses varying from ten to nineteen hours, when the re- 
maining alternate stamens begin in like manner to open and slowly 
arise in succession, and the anthers of these come to rest in con- 
tact with the projecting lobes of the stigma. ‘The stamens of 
this series are slightly shorter than the others, and have some- 
times been called the external ones. The interval of time between 
the first and last of this series is usually not more than twelve 
hours. The stamens, having now all reached their new position, 
present a view not less symmetrical than their first appearance, 
the projecting horns, or filaments, produced above the anthers 
being all bent forwards towards the centre of the stigma. 
Under the ideas which formerly prevailed upon the subject of 
self-fertilization of flowers, the statement of Linnzus, though 
needing qualification, is so illustrative that Darwin ought certainly 
to have given it poetic diction in the “ Loves of the Plants.” But 
when we look for special adaptation of parts for the office assigned 
by Linnzus, we find the anthers of both series of stamens 70¢ 
introrse, but extrorse—that is, opening outwards and downwards, 
directly from the stigma. Moreover, in almost all cases, the 
bursting of the cell and the protrusion of the pollen is fully com- 
pleted before the stamen reaches its erect position. By the time, 
however, that the anthers of the first series have reached their 
places between the lobes of the stigma, they have become so 
swollen and so covered with pollen that a few grains almost in- 
evitably come into contact with the stigmatic surfaces. But 
while slowly ascending to this position, and after reaching it, they 
certainly are so placed that the visit of an insect could hardly fail 
to carry away much more of the pollen than can reach the stigma 
by anther contact. Yet, the flower of this plant is so near the 
ground, and so often hidden, in fact, by dead leaves, that flying 
insects could hardly reach it; nor have I detected any visits from 
these, or from insects of other habits. But I trust that what I 
have here recorded will lead to further observation and research 
on this and kindred points, Joun H. RepFie.p. 
Puitaperpnia, May 22, 1873. 
5 $2. Party-colored Iris.—I saw, yesterday, a curious specimen 
of the ordinary Iris of cultivation (Jris Germanica). The colors — 
—blue and white—were exactly divided upon it. The owner said 
that his white flowers grew on one side of his garden and the blue 
ones on the other, and they had never crossed before. Is not this 
