342 The Romance of Wild Flowers 
episodes by which fertilisation is effected, and how 
the plant stoops to deception of a systematic character 
in order to compass its ends. ‘The handsome, large, 
arrow-shaped, and spotted leaves are in evidence for 
at least a month before the flowers. They are of 
such soft texture that they would soon be 
eaten by herbivorous mammals, but that the 
plant has learned by experience in the past, 
and now develops such acridity that the first 
bite 1s enough for any creature. I believe 
that the dark-purple spots on the leaves are 
a warning sign, but it is singular that in 
some districts these spots are never developed. 
Within the centre of the cowl stands a thick, 
fleshy, club-shaped organ, more or less of a 
dull purple colour, and if we tear off the 
front lower portion of the spathe we shall 
find the lower half of this club (spadix) to 
be crowded with minute flowers. Examina- 
tion with a simple lens resolves these into 
three distinct sets of organs ranged one 
above the others round the spadix. 
The lowest series consists of stigmas, the next of 
anthers, and the uppermost series of stamens that 
have become converted into long oblique hairs which 
radiate to the walls of the spathe. Now, under the old 
theory that flowers exist solely to give pleasure to the 
human eye and nose, this arrangement and specialisa- 
tion is absurd and uncalled-for; but in the light of the 
doctrine that teaches the utility to the species of the 
shapes, colours, odours, and special arrangements of 
the flowers, everything about the Cuckoo-pint becomes 
easy of comprehension, transparently clear in fact. 
Cuckoo-pint 
