NOTES OX THE FEKTILISATTON OF ORCHIDS 331 



one flower with both pollinia <^one. These observations, in conjunction 

 with the above-mentioned visit of a hunil)le-beo to the llowers, affoivl 

 fair ])roof that this species, in spite of its ahnost habitual self-fertili- 

 sation, is still occasionally, over a wide extent of its range, cross- 

 fertiUsed by insects. 



LiMODORUM ABORTiA^UM Swartz. This leafless saprophyte is 

 nearly allied to Geplialanthera, and has large mauve flowers with a 

 stout spur containing nectar, which can be seen to rise in the throat 

 of tlie flower if the spur is squeezed. As might be expected with a 

 plant which secretes free nectar, it is visited by at least three species 

 of bees. The watching of this plant proved particularly wearisome, 

 as the bees were so wary that they disappeared at the slightest move- 

 ment. It was necessary to stand in the hot sun with the net ready 

 to strike. I watched a clump of nineteen flower spikes at Yence on 

 May 12th, 1922, and saw a grej^ bee visit them, but failed to catch 

 it. After weary waiting I caught a bee with a striped abdomen and 

 orange legs visiting the flowers with pollinia on his head, later identified 

 at Paris as Antliidliim septemdeatatum Latr. Next day my wi!"e 

 and I saw two of the grey bees visit the flowers, but 1 failed to catch 

 them. She, however, netted a very small bee of a different species 

 which she saw enter two flowers, but it escaj^ed while I was trying to 

 box it. M}^ almost daily efforts were unsuccessful until the 22nd, 

 when I saAv three of the grey bees visit the flowers. Two were too 

 quick for me, but I netted the third, and rejoiced at having the 

 elusive grey bee at last in my power. My discomfiture may be 

 imagined when he escaped through a flaw in my new net ! The 

 plants were now nearly over, but next day I collected two or three 

 spikes, watched them in the cool of the evening, and had the satisfac- 

 tion of catching a red bee visiting them, later identified at Paris as 

 Somhus agronim var, pascuonnn vScop. 



I am much indebted to M. Lucien Borland, of the Paris Museum 

 National d'Histoire Naturelle, and to Mr. W. Gardner, F.L.S., for 

 their courtesy in identifying the bees referred to above. 



NOTES ON JAMAICA PLANTS. 

 By William Pawcett, B. Sc, and A. B. IIendle, P. U.S. 



(Continued from Joiurn. Bot. 1921, p. 226.) 

 SWAETZ ; ICONES ET DeSCEIPTIONES InEDIT^E. 



Some years ago Prof. Urban lent us a volume of great interest 

 and value in the study of West Indian plants, consisting of a 

 number of descriptions and figures by Olof Swartz of plants discovered 

 by himself in the West Indies. All the original drawings for the 

 plates in Ohservationes Botanicce are included, except those for 

 ])late v.,and all for the plates in Icones Plantarum Ind. Occ, except 

 those for plates i. and ii. 



But the main interest in this volume lies chiefly in the 57 

 Journal or Botany. — Vol. GO. [Decemreb, 1922.] 2 r 



