234 NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



the early flowers of Ophrys are more frequently fertilised than the later ones, which 

 are neglected as soon as the female insects appear. 



At Challes about May 24th a yellowish spotted- winged fly, Volucella inflata Fabr., 

 began to visit O. arachnites, and remained long on the flower. On alighting it 

 immediately began a series of frantic movements, clawing at the labellum as if it 

 were on an extremely slippery surface requiring desperate efforts to secure a foothold. 

 It kept turning roimd and round sideways, now facing upwards, now downwards, 

 sometimes resting as if exhausted, and then furiously resuming the same erratic 

 movements. A bee sucking honey remains still on the flower. A male bee visiting 

 an Ophrys at once takes up the proper position, facing the centre of the flower and 

 withdrawing the poUinia on his head in all species except 0. jusca and 0. lutea, in 

 which the labellum suggests an insect facing the tip of the lip, and the pollinia are 

 carried oflF on the end of the abdomen. In both cases the visitor buzzes with its 

 wings, waves its antennas, and explores the flower with the tip of the abdomen, 

 otherwise remaining motionless. The disordered movements of Volucella are entirely 

 diff'erent, and suggest a frantic search for something it is unable to find. Often as 

 I saw it visit the flowers it never removed the pollinia.' 



OPHRYS ARACHNITES xARANIFERA 



PI. 57 D. X Ophrys Aschersonii De Nanteuil 



This is thus described in the Catalogue of Plants of S. Kent, p. 5 8 (Rev. G. E. Smith) : 

 "The tone of its pale citron-green, in both herbage, calyx and petals, closely resembles 

 that of O.fucifera (a form oiaranifera) with which I have figured it. The lip is variable 

 in form, the margin deep and pale, and the gland (appendix) large, and in several 

 cases distinctly trifid. Is it possible that a plant of arachnites can receive pollen trans- 

 ferred by an insect horn fucif era} Upon the 17th May in the past year (apparently 

 1828), a year remarkable for the early flowering (as well as from continued rains 

 about June for the long continuance in flower of many plants), I had specimens of 

 arachnites zndfucifera blooming together. If this be the case — but let it be regarded 

 as supposition — the varieties m fucifera may be thus explained. Mr A. Matthews 

 collected O. arachnites several years since at Ospringe, whence the varieties of O. fuci- 

 fera were procured. The terminal gland, the variable lip, the marking and the petals 

 oi O.fucifera exhibit traces of this {arachnites). The purple-rose colour of 0. arachnites 

 is. . .suppressed in these varieties. This supposition may be regarded as chimerical; 

 it is at least plausible; and will furnish a new motive of interest in these singular 

 and beautiful plants". 



Referring to the above in their Flora of Kent (1899) Messrs Hanbury and Marshall 



' /.B. pp. 298-302 (1929). 



