226 FLORA HISTORICA. 



bottom, and it is not common to see more than 

 three or four expanded at one time ; as the lower 

 ones decay others open higher on the spike, until 

 the whole have blossomed. A spike seldom con- 

 tains more than fifteen flowers, and frequently not 

 more than four or five. They are thinly scattered 

 on the stem, which adds considerably to the decep- 

 tion, for were they numerous it would lessen the 

 effect. The calyx divides into three lanceolate 

 leaves of pale green, out of which issues a corolla 

 or petal, so bent, cut, and painted, as to resemble 

 a fly with its head in the calyx. 'The velvet-like 

 pubescence of the corolla, and the blue mark di- 

 viding the chocolate colour, contributes much to 

 the resemblance of this vegetable substance to an 

 animal body. 



There has been no instance of either the Orchis 

 or the Ophrys, as now defined by botanists, being 

 found in tropical countries ; but a beautiful species 

 of this genus of plants has within these last few 

 years been brought from the botanic garden of 

 Palermo, by Mr. AVm. Swainson. The plant is 

 indigenous to the coast of Barbary, and has been 

 named Sawfly Ophrys, Tenthredin fera, but we 

 have seen no species of the Musca so gaily coloured, 

 as yellow, crimson, white, and blue, render the 

 corollas of this flower, which being moreover set in 

 a rose-coloured calyx has a fine effect. The ge- 



