87 



" Platanthera is the genus of M. Richard, characterized by the la- 

 teral position of the anther-lobes, whose foot rests upon a concave, 

 glutinous, projecting scale, upon which scale the fertilization of the 

 stigma depends. Without these scales the anther-lobes must fall from 

 the flower. The nectar is distilled in a tube, which opens immediately 

 below the stigma. Early in the day the treasure is robbed ; — 



" ' Through the soft air the busy nations fly, 



" ' Cling to the bud, and with inserted tube 



" ' Suck its pure essence, its ethereal soul.' — Thomson. 



But the eager insect, in thrusting forward its head, comes in contact 

 with the scales : the lobes are withdrawn, and decorate the robber 

 with no light appendage ; his feet are applied to remove the incum- 

 brance, and the pollen is brushed upon the stigma. Tliis process, 

 which compensates for the stolen nectar, is a beautiful instance of 

 provision, distinct from the provision made in other cases in the same 

 tribe, and may rank with the well-known instances in the birth-wort, 

 the fig and the berberry."* 



The process of beating for caterpillars in September, forcibly calls 

 to mind the practice so common among our lepidopterists here. I 

 quote the following paragraph to show how observant is our author, 

 even on this branch of his subject. 



" While the leaves of the trees are yet green, I am diligent in beating them for 

 lepidopterous caterpillars: I have had much success in obtaining these lately, some of 

 which I will mention to you. I have taken several of the fine green velvety caterpil- 

 lars of the tiger swallow-tail (Papilio Turnus), with violet spots on the body and two 

 eye-spots. It spins a bed of silk, so tightly stretched from one edge of a leaf to the 

 other, as to bend it up, so that a section of it would represent a bow, the silk being the 

 string. On this elastic bed the larva reposes, the fore parts of the body drawn in so as 

 to swell out that part, on which the eye-spots are very conspicuous. I have taken it 

 from willow, poplar, and bass-wood, but chiefly from brown ash. Before it spins its 

 button and suspending girth, it gradually changes colour to a dingy purple. The 

 chrysalis is brown, with many darker blotches. The caterpillars of the muff" moth 

 (Lophocampa tesselaris) are also numerous on ash, willow, poplar, and apple trees ; 

 these are very pretty, covered with a thick, soft, long fur, generally bright yellow in 

 the middle, and black at each end ; but in many the yellow, and in others the black, 

 predominates, to the almost total exclusion of the other colour. They spin oval co- 

 coons, slight and thin in texture, being in a great degree composed of the hairs of the 

 caterpillar; these are found attached to the under sides of stones &c., in spring. I 

 find caterpillars of that division called puss-moths (Cerura), of all ages, on the willows; 

 some recently hatched, with the double tail sticking out in the air unreasonably long ; 



* 'Catalogue of Rare Plants of South Kent,' under Habeuaria bifolia, p. 48. 



