609 ON THE HAIR-COLLECTORS 
in regular lines upon the upper portion of the style, and at 
the time of expansion of the corolla are placed in immediate 
contact with the anthers throughout their whole length, 
spreading outwards from the style at nearly right angles, 
their apices bent upwards; they are often slightly curved 
throughout in the same direction. During the period of 
fecundation the lower part of the style is elongated, and the 
pollen-collectors, being forcibly elevated, sweep up the pollen 
from the cells of the anthers in such quantity as to be en- 
tirely covered with it. At this time, the pollen-collectors are 
not at all *invaginated," but are simply covered and con- 
cealed by the numerous grains of pollen which also fill up 
all the interstices between the hairs. "These pollen-collectors 
are of most singular structure; they consist of two concen- 
tric tubular membranes, sufficiently elastic and firm at the 
first to be cut across without any change of figure, and they 
have, when perfectly formed, a distinctly marked foramen at 
the apex. It is easy to strip up the outer membrane, after 
having lacerated it below with the dissecting needle so as to 
display the inner tube. This outer membrane is, no doubt, 
an external prolongation of the cuticle; but the inner mem- 
brane is most certainly continued downwards below the 
cuticle into the cellular tissue of the style, and lines the 
cavity at the base of the pollen-collector, which is thus par- 
tially immersed in the cellular tissue, and is not merely a 
prolongation of the superficial layer. At the period of fecun- 
dation, the inner tube of the pollen-collector is quite straight 
or parallel to the outer tube, but quickly afterwards it be- 
comes collapsed and wavy, as if it were too long for the 
outer case to contain it. 
The function of the pollen-collectors is still more wonder- 
ful. By some process, not yet actually witnessed, the grains 
of pollen pass into the interior of the hair-collectors, and are 
ultimately lodged in the cavities beneath the surface of the 
style! Of this fact I have had such abundant and repeated 
proofs, that I state it with the utmost confidence. In one of 
the tubular hairs, I have observed no less than four grains of 
