100 NEOTTE^. Chap. IV. 



blunt, solid, upper end of the anther, thus freeing the 

 l)ollen-masses. Various other insects besides hive-bees 

 visit the flowers. My son saw several large flies (Sar- 

 copliaga carnosa) haunting them ; but they did not 

 enter in so neat and regular a manner as the hive-bees ; 

 nevertheless two had pollen-masses attached to their 

 foreheads. Several smaller flies {Coelopa frigida) were 

 also seen entering and leaving the flowers, with pollen- 

 masses adhering rather irregularly to the dorsal surface 

 of the thorax. Three or four distinct kinds of Hymen- 

 optera (one of small size being Crahro hreins) likewise 

 visited the flowers ; and three of these Hymenoj)tera 

 liad pollen-masses attached to their backs. Other still 

 more minute Diptera, Coleoptera, and ants were seen 

 sucking the nectar ; but these insects appeared to be 

 too small to transport the pollen-masses. It is re- 

 markable that some of the foregoing insects should 

 visit the flowers ; for Mr. F. Walker informs me that 

 the Sarcophaga frequents decaying animal matter, and 

 the Ccelopa haunts seaweed, occasionally settling on 

 flowers. The Crabro also, as I hear from Mr. F. Smith, 

 collects small beetles (Halticse) for provisioning its 

 nest. It is equally remarkable, seeing how many 

 kinds of insects visit this Epipactis, that although my 

 son watched hundreds of plants for some hours on three 

 occasions, not a sino-le humble-bee alighted on a flower, 

 though many were flying about. 



Epipactis Jatifolia. — This sj)ecies agrees with the 

 last in most respects. The rostellum, however, projects 

 considerably further beyond the face of the stigma, 

 and the blunt upper end of the anther less so. The 

 viscid matter lining the elastic cap of the rostellum 

 takes a longer time to get dry. The upper petals and 

 sepals are more widely expanded than in E. pcdustris : 

 the distal portion of the labellum is smaller, and is 



