THE ORCHIDS OF NEW ENGLAND. I0I 



ward so as almost to touch the column between the two discs 

 (or rather between the two cups or grooves that contain them) 

 and therefore lying over and dividing the orifice of the spur. 

 The anther-cells are parallel but a little apart, and lie almost in 

 line with the lip, but with their front ends depressed so that the 

 discs are a little lower than the base of the protuberance. 

 These discs and this protuberance are so correlated in shape 

 and position that the proboscis of an insect fitted to suck 

 nectar, inserted obliquely from above, as it must be, can- 

 not keep the middle line at the entrance, but will take 

 right or left of the protuberance, and so slide into the 

 disc-bearing groove of that side. On directing a delicate 

 bristle vertically from above into the spur, taking either side 

 of the protuberance, the bristle will either enter the discal 

 groove from above as a thread enters the eye of a needle, or, 

 if presented more obliquely from the front, will slide into the 

 groove when, as it enters the spur, it is raised, as it must be, to 

 a more vertical position, the disc clasps the bristle and is with- 

 drawn with it along with the attached pollinium. It is evident 

 that in this species, self-fertilization cannot occur, that only one 

 pollinium will be likely to be withdrawn at one visit of an insect, 

 and that this will doubtless be conveyed to anot'her flower." 



A correspondent tells me that he is not familiar enough with 

 the Orchis family to know the difference between H. virescens 

 and H. viridis, but if he bears in mind the fact that H. virescens 

 carries a spur, and H. viridis a bag, he need not have to refer 

 to the botany. Or, to state it still more simply, the one hav- 

 ing the longer name has the longer nectary of the two. 



If there is a more enticing place than a boulder-strewn hill- 

 side pasture, I have yet to find it : the copses, the beds of 

 brake and fern, the grassy basins with their refreshing springs, 

 give me no excuse for hastening through, even on a July after- 

 noon ; but by climbing higher, into the hemlock woods, I hope 

 to be repaid by seeing the Great Round-leaved Orchis, H. orbi- 



