UP IN THE TREES. 205 



Again, such plants as the Stanhopea appear to 

 have the power of selection to a great extent, 

 possibly even so far as to choose a particular 

 spot on the outside of its mass of bulbs for the 

 flower stems. Under cultivation in open baskets 

 they commonly push them straight downwards 

 through the bars, which is obviously almost im- 

 possible under natural conditions. It also seems 

 as if the plant calculated the shape and size of the 

 opening before producing its flower-spike, as amidst 

 such a crowd it might easily happen that the 

 space would be too small for the proper develop- 

 ment of its flowers. Of course it makes a mistake 

 sometimes, with the result that the bud rots or 

 the great blossoms get smothered, but this occurs 

 very rarely. 



We have lately been investigating the life 

 history of the species of Coryanthes and especially 

 C. macrantha. This genus, as we have already 

 mentioned, has developed an oval mass of roots 

 to accommodate a garrison of ants. But it is not 

 in this, or even in the selection of a habitat, that 

 its powers are most highly developed. No, when 

 we come to the flowers we have perhaps the 

 most wonderful arrangement in the whole vege- 

 table kingdom. When we see the pair of great 

 flowers at the end of their pendant stalk we 



