HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



101 



shoot out from the flower of Listera ovata and 

 A r eottia Nidus-Avis and once, while fertilising a spike 

 of Spirauthes autumnalis, the flowers behaved in the 

 same way, though not with such force. Besides, my 

 statement is so easily proved or refuted. Let only 

 anyone go out this lovely May day, and make the 

 experiment with a spike of O. mascula, and, provided 

 the sun is shining and the air dry, I believe a viscid 

 drop will exude. For it must be remembered that a 

 warm cloudy morning is necessary to enable the 

 pollinia to escape freely, and indeed it is only on such 

 a morning that I have ever seen humble-bees visiting 

 the plant. Thus the chances of O. mascula being 

 fertilised by humble-bees in the legitimate way are 

 very often narrowed down to an extremely small 



Fig. 66. — Anthers of Orchis mascula. 



themselves, concealed from view. For want of some 

 name I will call this process the thong. This thong, 

 then, is the wonder of the whole. While drawing 

 it (May I, 1S82), I was entirely at a loss to account 

 for its use, but subsequently it dawned on me. As 

 far as I understand its economy at present, it seems 

 to be attached at its upper end, something like the 

 tongue of a frog, and, apparently, for the same 

 reason. It is highly elastic and retractile. I do not 

 observe that G. M. notices it. lie says "should the 

 pouch be depressed without the pollinia being 

 removed, it rises and protects the viscid balls ; or if 



Fig. 67. — Pollinium of Orchis mascula. 



Next, as to the lip ox pouch which covers the viscid 

 balls attached to the base of the pollinia. In the 

 spring of 1SS2, I made this drawing of the anthers of 

 O. mascula, and I think it is correct. I had it by 

 me in iSSj, when I wrote my paper, but I forebore 

 from describing it, as I had already sent in too many 

 diagrams, and there were the plates also in Mr. 

 Darwin's book. I should like to make a few remarks 

 about it now. 



To my mind, and probably to the minds of those 

 who examine the drawing attentively, the most 

 wonderful part of this most wonderful piece of 

 mechanism, is the central strap-like process arising 

 from and attached to the rim of the pouch, and 

 passing between the enclosed caudicles of the pollinia, 

 until its end is on a level with the pollen-masses 



only one be removed, it rises and protects the other." 

 Fxactly so : but why ? The pouch rises and returns 

 to its place, I believe, because of this elastic thorn . 

 but not of its own accord. And further, I believe 

 that this thong is expressly intended to prevent the 

 removal of both pollinia at once, which it certainly 

 often does do, for the humble-bee becomes quarrel- 

 some when two pollinia are attached to his forehead, 

 and tries to rub them off. This I have witnessed. 

 One single pollinium, on the contrary, appears to 

 cause little or no inconvenience. If this is a fact, 

 it is a very interesting and marvellous one. 



Then G. M. finds my description of the drying of 

 the viscid disc rather misleading. Here is a drawing 

 of a pollinium made on May 12, 1SS3. It is the 

 most perfect one I have been able to observe 



