NATURAL ORDER ORCHIDACEA#. 
Tribe—OPuRYDEH. Section of genus Ophrys, having the lip 
three-lobed, and the posterior lobe largest. 
Prats XTX.—Ophrys scolopax. Cavamilles. Grenier and Godron. 
Not given by Woods. 
GrwneEric.— Pollen-masses having two separate glands, enclosed in two 
pouches which appear distinct. Ovary not twisted. Lz thick, rather 
fleshy, without any spur. 
Sreciric.—Lip deeply three-lobed, the terminal lobe having at its 
extremity a three-pointed, upturned process. The margins of the lip 
are frequently much reflexed. 
EXPLANATION OF Pirate XITX.—Ophrys scolopax, the plant drawn in 
this plate deserves most particular attention, as the facts given below 
attest. Both of the spikes represented in this plate are entirely unable to 
fertilize themselves. Fig. 1, a flower taken from a spike gathered at 
Cannes, and in the act of self-fertilization, the pollen-masses bending 
into the stigmatic-cavity while the glands remain in the pouch. 
Fig. 2, part of a flower taken from a spike gathered at Mentone, with 
the pollen-masses still in the anther-cells, and the stigma fertilized. 
Remarxs.—I am able to show in the present plate that an Ophrys 
exists which presents two forms, growing in two widely-separated places. 
The facts-stand thus: all. the specimens of Ophrys Scolopax which I 
was able to procure at Mentone were entirely unable to fertilize them- 
selves, being, like all the other representatives of the genus Ophrys 
known to me there, except the rare Bee Ophrys (O. apifera.), quite with- 
out the power of releasing the pollen-masses from the Anther-cells, and 
bending them into the stigmatic-chamber. While at Mentone, there- 
fore, I set down O. scolopax as always indebted to insects for its 
fertilization. "When passing through Cannes, however, some kind friends 
sent mea bundle of the Orchids of that place, among which I found a 
bunch of Ophrys scolopax. How great was my surprise to find the 
flowers all fertilizing themselves, the pollen-masses being bent down into 
the stigmatic-cavity as in the drawing at fig 1. It is curious, as a 
coincidence if in no other way, that at Cannes the Bee Ophrys is as 
abundant as it is scarce at Mentone ; so that self-fertilization is the rule 
