WARM ORCHIDS. 137 
Darwin never proved his special genius more 
admirably than in this case. He created an in- 
sect beyond belief, as one may say, by the force of 
logic ; and such absolute confidence had he in his 
own syllogism that he declared, “If such great 
moths were to become extinct in Madagascar, 
assuredly this Angreecum would become extinct.” 
Iam not aware that Darwin’s fine argument has 
yet been clinched by the discovery of that insect. 
But cavil has ceased. Long before his death a 
sphinx moth arrived from South Brazil which 
shows a proboscis between ten and eleven inches 
long—very nearly equal, therefore, to the task of 
probing the nectary of Angrecum sesqutpedale. 
And we know enough of orchids at this time to be 
absolutely certain that the Madagascar species 
must exist. 
