A FEW NATIVE ORCHIDS 2OI 



would exist as in the H. psycodes the tongue 

 might be inserted between the pollen discs and 

 withdrawn without touching them. But here 

 comes the remarkable and very exceptional pro- 

 vision to make this contact a certainty a sug- 

 gestive structural feature of this flower of which I 

 am surprised to find no mention either in our 

 botanies or in the literature of cross-fertilization, 

 so far as I am familiar with its bibliography. 

 Even Dr. Gray's description of the fertilization 

 device of this species makes no mention of this 

 singular and very important feature. The nec- 

 tary here, instead of being freely open, as in other 

 orchids described, is abruptly closed at the central 

 portion by a firm protuberance or palate, which 

 projects downward from the base of the stigma, 

 and closely meets the lip below. 



The throat of the nectary, thus centrally di- 

 vided, presents two small lateral openings, each of 

 which, from the line of approach through the 

 much -narrowed entrance of the flower, is thus 

 brought directly beneath the waiting disc upon 

 the same side. The structure is easily under- 

 stood from the two diagrams Figs. 1 2 and 1 3, both 

 of which are indexed. 



The viscid pollen-gland is here very peculiarly 

 formed, elongated and pointed at each end, and it 



