Ci£Ai. IV. LISTEEA OVATA. 119 



auil rendered useless. I once found an injured flower 

 Mliicli bad been pressed and bad exploded before fully 

 expanding, and tbe antber witb tbe enclosed pollen- 

 masses was permanently glued to tbe crest of tbe ros- 

 tellum. Tbe rostellum, wbicb is naturally somewbat 

 arcbed over tbe stigma, quickly bends forwards and 

 downwards at tbe moment of tbe explosion, so as tben 

 to stand (tig. B) at rigbt angles to tbe surface of tbe 

 stigma. Tbe pollinia, if not removed by tbe toucbing 

 object wbicb causes tbe explosion, become fixed to tbe 

 rostellum, and by its movement are likewise draw'U a 

 little forward. If tbeir lower ends are now freed by a 

 needle from tbe antber-cells, tbey spring up ; but tbey 

 are not by tbis movement placed on tbe stigma. In 

 tbe course of some bours, or of a day, tbe rostellum 

 not only slowly recovers its original sligbtly-arcbed 

 psoition, but becomes quite straigbt and parallel to 

 tbe stiffmatic surface. Tbis backward movement of 

 tbe rostellum is of service ; for if after tbe explosion it 

 bad remained permanently projecting at rigbt angles 

 over tbe stigma, pollen could not readily bave been 

 deposited by insects on tbe viscid surface of tbe 

 stigma. Wben tbe rostellum is toucbed so quickly 

 tbat tbe pollinia are not removed, tbey are, as I bave 

 iust said, drawn a little forward ; but by tbe subse- 

 quent backward movement of tbe rostellum tbey are 

 pusbed back again into tbeir original position. 



From tbe account now given we may safely infer 

 bow tbe fertilisation of tbis Orcbid is effected. Small 

 insects aligbt on tbe labellum for tbe sake of tbe 

 nectar copiously secreted by it ; as tbey lick tbis tbey 

 slowly crawd u]) its narrowed surface until tbeir beads 

 stand directly beneatb tbe overarcbing crest of tbe 

 rostellum ; wben tbey raise tlieir beads tbey toucb the 

 ?re6t; tbis tben -explodes, and tbe pollinia are instantly 



