278 The Romance of Wild Flowers 
pollen has all been distributed, the style lengthens 
and curves down considerably, the long stigma-lobes 
curving widely apart, and occupying such a position 
that upon a bee now visiting the flower its back 
sweeps the stigmas, and if it has previously visited a 
younger flower cross-fertilisation is insured. Sprengel 
described this wonderful mechanism more than a 
hundred years ago, and gave a figure of the flower 
with a bee creeping into it. For nearly seventy years 
Sprengel’s book was neglected, and most naturalists 
were ignorant of his observations and discoveries. 
One can sympathise with the Rev. Prof. Henslow in 
this connection, for many of us have had somewhat. 
similar experiences: from his examination of the 
flowers of Sage he formed a correct estimate of the 
significance of the mechanism, and wrote to Mr. 
Darwin describing his discovery, which he imagined 
to be quite new; but the great naturalist, who was 
well read in all that his predecessors had done, 
kindly referred Mr. Henslow to Sprengel’s figure and 
description. 
One other species is the Clary (S. verbenaca), with 
smaller purplish flowers, a shorter upper lip, and a 
habit of self-fertilisation. This is clearly another 
case of degeneration from a more specialised form of 
flower, for the connective is still enlarged, though the 
lower anther-lobe is not developed at all, and the 
stigmas simply curl towards the anthers and get seltf- 
fertilised. Here, then, is another illustration of the 
point to which we have previously called attention— 
that the species showing manifest degeneration from 
a much more highly specialised form have learnt that 
self-fertilisation means a more extensive progeny and 
