[843 '■ INSEC1 l' ERTILISATIl >N 



insect crawling out of a recently opened flower would, I believe, Letter 595 

 have parts of the pollen-massi - adhering to the back or 

 shoulder. I have seen this in Listera. How I should lii 

 to watch the Epipactis. 



If you can at anytime send me Spiranthes or Aceras or 

 O. ustulata, you would complete your work of kindnes 



P.S. — If you should visit the Epipactis again, would you 

 gather a few of the lower flowers which have been opened 

 for some time and have begun to wither a little, and observe 

 whether pollen is well cleared out of anther-case. I have 

 been struck with surprise that in nearly all the lower flowers 

 sent by you, though much of the pollen has been removed, 

 yet a good deal of pollen is left wasted within the anthers. 

 I observed something of this kind in Cepkalanthera grandi- 

 flora. Hut I fear that you will think me an intolerable bore. 



To A. G. More. Letter 596 



I ii v.n. August 5th, i860. 



I am infinitely obliged for your most clearly stated obser- 

 vations on the bee-orchis. It is now perfectly clear that 

 something removes the pollen-ma-se> far more with you than 

 in this neighbourhood. But I am utterly puzzled about the 

 foot-stalk being so often cut through. I should suspect snails. 

 I yesterday found thirty-nine (lowers, and of them only one 

 pollen-mass in three flowers had been removed, and as th 

 were extremely much-withered flowers I am not quite stir 

 the truth of this. The wind again is a new element of doubt. 

 Your observations will aid me extremely in coming to some 

 conclusion. 1 I hope in a day or two to receive some day- 

 moths, on the pr s of which I am assured the pollen- 

 masses of the bee-orchis still adhere.'-' . . . 



elasticity of the labellum was first observed by Mr. More i hx* first edition, 

 p. 99). The description <>t tin- flower given in the above letter to Mr. 

 More i> not quite clear ; the reader is referred to the Fertilisation of 

 Orchids, loc. cit. 



1 Mr. More's observations on the percentage of flowers in which the 

 pollinia were absent are quoted in Fertilis Ed. 1.. p. 



3 He was doomed to disappointment. On July 17th. 1861, he wrote 

 to .Mr. More: — "I found the other day a lot of be< ys with the 



glands of the pollinia all in their pouches. All facts point elearly to 

 eternal self-fertilisation in this species; yet 1 cannot swallow the bitter 

 pill. Have you looked at any this yeai i 



