402 The Biology of Flowers 



results of Darwin's investigations in floral biology universally quoted 

 in school books ; they are even willingly accepted by those who, as 

 regards other questions, are opposed to Darwin's views. 



The works which we have mentioned are, however, not only of 

 special interest because of the facts they contribute, but because of 

 the manner in which the facts are expressed. A superficial reader 

 seeking merely for catch-words will, for instance, probably find the 

 book on cross and self-fertilisation rather dry because of the 

 numerous details which it contains : it is, indeed, not easy to com- 

 press into a few words the general conclusions of this volume. But 

 on closer examination, we cannot be sufficiently grateful to the author 

 for the exactness and objectivity with which he enables us to 

 participate in the scheme of his researches. He never tries to 

 persuade us, but only to convince us that his conclusions are based 

 on facts ; he always gives prominence to such facts as appear to be 

 in opposition to his opinions, — a feature of his work in accordance 

 with a maxim which he laid down : — " It is a golden rule, which I try 

 to follow, to put every fact which is opposed to one's preconceived 

 opinion in the strongest light 1 ." 



The result of this method of presentation is that the works 

 mentioned above represent a collection of most valuable documents 

 even for those who feel impelled to draw from the data other con- 

 clusions than those of the author. Each investigation is the outcome 

 of a definite question, a "preconceived opinion," which is either 

 supported by the facts or must be abandoned. "How odd it is 

 that anyone should not see that all observation must be for or 

 against some view if it is to be of any service 2 !" 



The points of view which Darwin had before him were principally 

 the following. In the first place the proof that a large number of 

 the peculiarities in the structure of flowers are not useless, but of 

 the greatest significance in pollination must be of considerable 

 importance for the interpretation of adaptations ; " The use of each 

 trifling detail of structure is far from a barren search to those who 

 believe in natural selection 3 ." Further, if these structural relations 

 are shown to be useful, they may have been acquired because from 

 the many variations which have occurred along different lines, those 

 have been preserved by natural selection " which are beneficial to 

 the organism under the complex and ever-varying conditions of life 4 ." 

 But in the case of flowers there is not only the question of adaptation 

 to fertilisation to be considered. Darwin, indeed, soon formed the 

 opinion which he has expressed in the following sentence, — "From 



1 More Letters, Vol. n. p. 324. 2 Ibid. Vol. i. p. 195. 



s Fertilisation of Orchids (1st edit.), p. 351 ; (2nd edit. 1904), p. 286. 

 * Ibid. p. 351. 



