46 THE MICROSCOPICAL NEWS. 
over, burst before the stigma ripens, and the pollen is thus liable to 
be, at least in greater part, removed before the stigma arrives at its 
full maturity, leaving it, therefore, greatly dependent for its full 
complement of pollen upon supplies brought to it by the pollen- 
dusted bodies of insect visitors. It is likely, however, that many 
of the extremely numerous ovules may be fertilised by pollen 
derived from their own flowers, that is self-fertilised. After fertilisa- 
tion is effected, and embryos are being formed within the embryo-sac, 
simultaneous changes of a profound nature are also taking place in 
the structure of the whole ovary. While the now useless petals and 
stamens are dying the two coats of the enlarging ovule are getting 
firmer and tougher, the outer becoming more or less coarse, and 
well suited to act as a protection to the rapidly forming seed. At 
the same time the ovary walls enlarge, get, perhaps, somewhat 
stouter, and lastly drier, then when the contained seeds are able to 
live independently, and become detached from the dried up 
placenta plates, little valves open at the upper end of the seed 
vessel, immediately below the eve of the persistent stigma and 
from the pores or openings so formed, the small, almost round, or 
kidney-shaped, pitted seeds can easily escape at each bending of 
the stem in the early autumn breeze. 
At another time we will attempt a closer study of the anatomy of 
a seed, and trace the early independent growth of the embryo when 
thus detached, and removed from the parent, together with the 
more important physiological facts connected with the phenomenon 
of germination. 
Enough, however, has been said, at present, to explain, in a 
general way, the structure and use of the flower and to broadly 
indicate how wind and insects may aid the plant in the dissemina- 
tion of its pollen, enabling it to produce many and healthy seeds, 
and especially how insects, following their instinctive tastes for 
bright colours, strong scents, and sweet fluids, are unconsciously 
developing in plants a diversity of floral forms, encouraging a 
brilliancy of colouring and increasing their scent-producing and 
honey-secreting capacity ; and that, therefore, the visits of insects 
have a decided and very important influence upon the plant’s 
reproductive results, and those flowers that are the greatest favourites 
with the winged hosts of bees, flies, butterflies, and moths will be 
the most prolific, and will be the progenitors of new individuals 
which, inheriting the habits and structural peculiarities of their 
parents will, still further, perhaps, in their turn, develop those 
characters which influence the destiny of their race. 
METHOD OF PREPARATION. 
The ovaries from which the accompanying preparations were cut 
were obtained from the just opening poppy flowers gathered in a 
cornfield at Reading in the month of June last. 
