MALADIE ET SYMBIOSE 241 



" harmony," or " intimacy," or " immunity," is yet, as he thinks, 

 not in accordance with any " loi universelle." Why, if they are 

 capable of achieving " harmony " and " immunity," and even 

 of apparently excelling in seed production, could not the orchids 

 have been more liberally distributed in Nature ? Is it that 

 Nature favours distribution of species arbitrarily and contra- 

 dictorily ? Does she really sanction harmony and immunity 

 only to saddle the respective species with the dire necessity of 

 a wasteful seed production ? But Nature does not act thus 

 irregularly and contrarily ; and whenever such puzzling cases 

 arise, we are not far wrong in assuming that abuse has been 

 mistaken for use, as a result of which the respective operations 

 of Nature have been seen out of focus. 



Darwin at least suggested as an explanation why the orchids 

 are but sparsely distributed in Nature, that perhaps they are not 

 useful enough to the (symbiotic) insects a very valid reason, in 

 my opinion. But the French Botanist ignores bio-economic 

 criteria. He bids us instead follow him, somewhat tangentially, 

 into the labyrinth of past history. But we may be sure that 

 whatever has been the past history of the orchids, they have at 

 all times been under the cardinal necessity of obeying the law of 

 give and take, and we may feel confident that the species prospered 

 in any real sense only au fur et a mesure as they learnt pro- 

 gressively to comply with this law. Whatever degree or kind of 

 " immunity " they acquired as a result of their dealings with the 

 fungi, if such acquisition ran counter to real biological usefulness, 

 this was certain to make against a successful distribution of the 

 species. And this is a very important lesson to be gleaned from 

 their case. 



It may be well at this stage of our analysis, to pause for a 

 moment and consider the position of fungi and of orchids 

 regarded as bio-economic agents . Apart from such considerations, 

 a right understanding of their inter-relations is well-nigh 

 impossible. The fungi, as a class, as is well known, feed upon, 

 and break down, decaying organic matter. We must interpret 

 this as meaning that they have for the most part become confirmed 

 in in-feeding habits. And the habit has grown to such an extent 

 as to render them destitute of chlorophyll, and, hence, wanting 

 in the matter of the most essential vegetable industry, the glory 

 of the green plant, namely, the manufacture of carbo-hydrates. 

 Incidentally, and for the same reason, they have become relegated 



