PLATE XVII. 
covered by hair-like processes. Fig. 6, Xylocopa violacea with the 
pollen-masses of Orchis longibracteata attached between its eyes. This 
figure is of the natural size. 
Remarks.—This fine plant stands quite at the head of European 
orchids in respect of size and time of flowering, and has no very im- 
mediate aspirant for supremacy ; the nearest species being Orchis hircina, 
which, though most interesting and remarkable, can in no way claim 
either stateliness or beauty. The movements of the pollen-masses are 
also very striking, as the traversing of either plane (z.e., the plane of con- 
traction and the plane of depression) is distinctly performed, the depression 
not setting in till after the masses are drawn close together. By way of 
comparison it is interesting to examine Orchis pyramidalis, which has 
the greatest similarity in action of the pollen-masses of any mentioned 
by Mr. Darwin. In this case the pollen-masses are fastened to a gland, 
which, when taking hold of the object that removes it, curls up, and 
separates the masses, thus enabling them to strike two widely-divided 
stigmas. In the case of Serapias, Orchis hircina and Orchis longi- 
bracteata, the reverse action takes place, without any resemblance in the 
gland, which remains flat and apparently unchanged. The height at 
which the pouch stands seems to me a point always worthy of notice, 
as the position is, I believe, relative to the size and make of the insect 
best qualified to remove the pollen-masses. In this very case if the 
pouch, to depress which a hard push is necessary, had been lower down, 
the great Bee (Xylocopa violacea) could not have struck against it with 
his head, and a smaller insect, or the proboscis of Xylocopa, would pro- 
bably not have given a sufficient blow. I was favoured with a foreign 
specimen of Orchis hircina by the kindness of friends, after my return to 
England ; and I found that that most extraordinary plant has much 
- smaller pollen-masses, and a pouch placed quite low on the column, so 
that the gland could not possibly be removed in the same way as that of 
Orchis longibracteata. The geographical range, given by Parlatore in his 
Flora Italiana, is especially traceable round the upper curve of the Medi- 
terranean shores, extending as far as Spain to the west, and Crete and 
Scio to the east. It grows northward as far as Arles, and southward to 
Algeria and the Canary Islands. I find it also cited as growing on 
mount Hymettus, and the hills round Athens. Orchis longibracteata 
comes into flower about Christmas, and continues in blow until the end 
of March. The specimen drawn was brought from the Mentone Valley, 
where this plant abounds on rough banks under pine-trees. 
