750 



THE NATURE BOOK 



modification in order to achieve certain 

 objects. These things cannot be accepted 

 as merely fortuitous. They point as 

 clearly to design as the motions of the 

 planets. 



Take certain instances of what might 

 be termed peculiarity or eccentricity, 

 but which in some cases might be described 

 as intelligence on the part of plants. 

 I do not think that this word should 

 be withheld because the object which 

 the plant has in view is not apparent to 

 human beings. The five senses of man 

 have hitherto proved wholly inadequate 

 to explain many things which are subjects 

 of common knowledge, but a sidelight 

 may some day serve as a guide. 



The great family of Orchids gives us 

 man}^ remarkable examples of plant in- 

 telligence. We find flowers of wonderful 

 structure and gorgeous colour. In many 

 instances they mimic animals or insects, 

 in others the various parts of the flower 

 are developed in peculiar ways, which 

 can only be explained as aids to fertilisa- 



tion. Four extraordinary examples of 

 mimicry are the " Man," " Bee," " Liz- 

 ard," and " Spider " orchises, which mimic 

 the various animals and insects after 

 which they are named. The " Bee " 

 orchis {Ophrys apifera) is familiar to 

 many botanists in this country, who 

 have found it during their rambles, and 

 have been struck by its bee-like form. 



An example of the folly of dismissing 

 as fortuitous whatever may be unex- 

 plainable at the moment when it is first 

 observed is presented by the exotic 

 orchid known to botanists under the 

 formidable name of AngrcBcum sesqiii- 

 pedale. The waxy, white flowers are five 

 or six inches across, and each is furnished 

 with a spur ten to twelve inches long 

 containing nectar. What was the object 

 of this appurtenance ? Botanists looked 

 around, considered, and found nothing to 

 explain it. For many years it remained 

 a mystery. Recently, however, a moth 

 has been discovered in Madagascar, which 

 is the home of the plant, with a specially 



THE "BUCKET" ORCHm (CORYAMHES). 



i'Hoio^^raf'k hy h. J. II aiiis, At.t' Lintft, 



