120 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



There is a great difference between this pollen 

 and the pollen of other orchids, in its not being 

 bound together into masses. The anthers belong to 

 an inner row, and approach the third row in other 

 monocotyledonous flowers. Rostellum absent. 

 Stigmas three, two confluent, rounded on the stig- 

 matic surface which faces the basal part of the 

 labellum, presenting the dorsal part to the anthers 

 immediately above : thus the whole (or nearly so) 

 part of the stigma capable of being fertilized is 

 turned directly from the fertilizing agent. The 

 stigma of other orchids is waxy or glutinous, but in 

 this case it is simply moistened and roughened, 

 resembling a rasp on a very fine scale. We can 

 easily perceive then that the stigma cannot be 

 fertilized without some foreign agency. Supposing 

 the pollen to fall, it would only lie on the dorsal 

 surface of the stigma and there perish; but as far 

 as we have observed, — and that has been a good 

 many observations, the pollen does not move of 

 itself, but remains in its place and perishes with the 

 flower. 



We have drawn the description out longer thau 

 we intended, but perhaps we shall now more easily 

 understand the method of fertilization. 



Mr. Darwin (whose name is so well known in 

 connection with this subject, and whose wonderful 

 investigations have opened our eyes to many import- 

 ant facts) thought that the fertilization might be 

 effected by the agency of some insect inserting its 

 proboscis into one of the lateral passages, and in the 

 act detaching some or all of the pollen, and iu sending 

 its proboscis farther down might bring the pollen 

 against the rounded edge of the stigma ; or if it 

 went to the front of the flower or another flower, it 

 might be more easily accomplished by the entrance 

 to the stigma through the notch in the shield-like 

 body. This process Mr. Darwin accomplished with 

 a bristle, and, as he (Mr. Darwin) suggested, it 

 could be done much more efficiently by an insect. 

 But if it is possible, we think there is a more 

 exquisite and simple method than that for securing 

 either self or cross-fertilization. This method was, 

 we believe, first predicted by Dr. Gray, and has in 

 many instances since been confirmed. 



It is brought about by the agency of flies or such- 

 like insects, which are attracted by the apparently 

 enticing nectar mentioned above. We will then 

 suppose a fly to alight on the labellum, and, catch- 

 ing sight of the bedewed hairs, to at once descend 

 into the labellum by the front entrance, for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining a free luncheon. W r hetherit finds 

 anything satisfactory or not we cannot say ; but, 

 owing to the curious arrangement, the return may 

 not be so easy, and the hairs being especially be- 

 dewed towards the hinder part of the labellum, and 

 daylight coming in through the two lateral passages, 

 urges the fly to push its way forward under the 

 stigma which forms the roof of the passage, to escape 



by either of the lateral passages. Thus, scaling the 

 side of the labellum, the back of its head comes 

 directly in contact with the anther, and easily 

 detaches the whole or part of the pollen, which 

 remains fastened to its head, and away it flies to 

 another flower (can we imagine the fly would 

 enter the same flower again ?), entering the same 

 way ; but in passing the stigma this time, the pollen 

 comes in contact with its roughened surface, and part 

 or all of it is left ; thus securing fertilization, uncon- 

 scious no doubt of the great good done to Cypripe- 

 dium ; the fly passes out again only to get another 

 dose of pollen to convey to the stigma of some other 

 flower; and so on. And we can easily imagine how 

 self-fertilization may be effected by the insect enter- 

 ing either of the lateral passages and carrying the 

 pollen in that way to the stigma. This exquisite 

 method can be very easily performed by any who 

 may have the opportunity of doing so, by detaching 

 the pollen with a finely-sharped pencil and passing 

 the pencil under the stigma by the front entrance, 

 leaving the pollen on the stigma. Can there be a 

 more simple and efficient arrangement imagined? 



J. T. Hiches. 



AFTER CORMORANTS. 



(Phalacrocorax graculus, or cristatus.) 



nnHE gentle readers will, I hope, understand that 

 -*- neither I, nor the young friends whom I am 

 about to introduce to them, are professed fowlers ; 

 far from it : we consider it a sin to take away the 

 life of one of the feathered tribe unnecessarily, con- 

 tenting ourselves commonly with levelling at them 

 our binocular. If we occasionally commit the petty 

 larceny of abstracting an eg? or two from the lot iu 

 a nest, it is in the cause of science ; or if we have 

 incited our lithe young friends to scale the rocks 

 after cormorants and herons, it has only been in 

 order to enrich the Loamshire Museum. This must 

 be our excuse— at least mine — on the present occa- 

 sion. All young men, like my friends P., C, and 

 A., are either fowlers, fishers, or huntsmen by nature, 

 and are not commonly put upon their defence for 

 such matters ; that is if they do not break the law. 



There are two islands called Mona in the Irish 

 Sea, and on the north-east shore of one of them is a 

 bold promontory stretching out into the sea and 

 forming the southern shore of a bay, on which is 

 situated a little town, backed somewhat to the left 

 by a fine dome-shaped hill, or rather mountain. 

 Pleasant is the scene when you approach by sea, on 

 a summer evening, — the sun about to set behind the 

 high ground. The promontory is then a beautiful 

 object, corn fields at the top,then a mixture of rocks 

 and of bright verdure, and below picturesque and 

 pillared rocks or stacks ; those situated on the south 



