PcdcBontology. 235 



Before his time we find frequent reference to the 

 injury caused to plants by insects, and Sprengel, 

 Gaertner, Herbert, and others had shown that in- 

 sects were also, in many cases, beneficial and even 

 necessary to plants ; the color, form, odor, secretions, 

 and general structure of which have reference to 



o 



their necessary insect pollinisers. 



Yet their writings had produced but slight im- 

 pression outside of a limited circle. It remained for 

 Darwin to impress the world with a broader sense 

 of the actual interrelation between the two, and to 

 inspire a number of observers in this field in all 

 parts of the globe, who are now constantly adding 

 to the rich store of facts we already possess on the 

 subject. I need only refer to the work of Hooker, 

 Bennet, Axell, Delpino, Hildebrand, H. Miiller, and 

 others abroad, and to that of Dr. Gray and Mr. 

 Wm. Trelease at home. 



The importance of insects as agents in cross-fertil- 

 isation, was never properly appreciated till after 

 Darwin's remarkable work on Primula and his re- 

 searches on Orchids, Linum, Lythrum, etc. 



He established the principle that " nature abhors 

 close fertilization," and though some less careful 

 observers in this country — exaggerating the import- 

 ance of their isolated and often inaccurate observa- 

 tions — have opposed his views, the scientific world 

 has been convinced alike by the force of his logic as 

 by the eloquence of his innumerable facts. 



We all know how palaeontology has verified many 

 of his anticipations as to missing links being supplied 

 with increased knowledge of the geological record, 



