36 THE FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS. [CHAP. 



pollen in such a way that it cannot possibly fall on 

 the stigma. In the -Fuchsia flower of fig. 37, nothing 

 seems easier, from the inverted position of the flower, 

 than that the pollen should fall on the stigma ; but in 

 reality the position of this renders such a result more 

 difficult, for the sticky surface can only be reached 

 from below. In the Crocus the anthers open along 

 their backs so as to discharge their pollen away from 

 the stigma. There are many other remarkable con- 

 trivances in various plants actually to prevent the 

 pollen being shed on the stigma. 



The lesson of this is : it is not to the plant's benefit, 

 but otherwise, that its own pollen should fertilise its 

 seeds ; and on experimenting with various plants, to 

 ascertain the truth of this, it is found that all plants 

 fertilised with pollen from another individual produce 

 far more robust offspring than the plant which is 

 fertilised 'by its own pollen. Indeed, in some plants 

 the application of its own pollen to its stigma has 

 had the effect of causing the pistil to shrivel up, and 

 the flower to die. Why this is so we cannot tell ; 

 but it is beyond doubt a fact, applicable to the 

 animal as well as the vegetable kingdom, that the 

 offspring of individuals closely related are more or 

 less sickly and weak. Seeing that Nature objects, 

 as a rule, to ^^-fertilisation, we should naturally 

 expect to find that she has taken means to ensure 

 their awj-fertilisation. 



The untiring observations of Darwin, Lubbock, and 

 Miiller have clearly shown that such contrivances are 

 as plentiful as they are remarkable in fact, some 

 of them are absolutely startling in the delicacy and 



