/•/.()ii7:a'.s 171 



iiii; (low nuards, then the anthers containinj^ [jollen, 

 and below these the pistils with protruding stigmas. 

 The whole stalk is termed a s|)adix. 



The outer green spathe forms a kind of prison, 

 into which flies are enticed b)- the somewhat fetid 

 odcHir which is exhaled by the flower. The flies 

 easil)' cree[) in past the circle (jf hairs, which, as 

 the\' point downwards, do not prevent their 

 entrance, but, once in, these hairs are like a 

 i/u'i'<Ji(X-(/c-f?isi', and hinder the escaj^e of the 

 insects. The flies in all i)r(jbabilit\' carr\' upon 

 their wings pollen from some other arum flower, 

 and in their efforts to escape they brush off this 

 pollen upon the stigmas, which thus become 

 fertilised. When this has taken place the stigmas 

 throw out a sweet juice u])on which the insects 

 feed ; the anthers now shed out their pollen, with 

 which the flies bec(jme covered ; the hairs mean- 

 while have withered, and thus the flies, having done 

 their appointed work in fertilising the flower, are 

 free to crawl out and perform the same office for 

 some neighbouring plant. 



We have not space to do more than allude to 

 certain plants, whose flowers never open and are 



