228 LETTER XIX. 



If you consider the mutual relation which all the 

 parts of the Orchis bear to each other, you will scarcely 

 fail to he struck with one circumstance above all 

 others, namely, the apparent want of any means of com- 

 munication betwen the pollen and the stigma. Not 

 being in fine powder the pollen is not able to be scat- 

 tered in the air, like that of other plants ; if it were to 

 fall out in a mass it would hardly touch the stigma ; 

 and even the possibility of this seems to be purposely 

 prevented by the glutinous gland to which the stalk 

 of the pollen-mass adheres, and which is itself con- 

 fined within the pouch. To account for the manner 

 in which the necessary contact between the stigma 

 and the pollen takes place, two explanations have 

 been given ; one that insects, inserting their pro- 

 boscis into the flower in search of honey, disturb 

 and pull out, or unintentionally carry away with 

 them the pollen-mass which sticks to them by means 

 of the gland, and that in the latter case, buzzing from 

 flower to flower they leave it behind them on the 

 stigma of some neighbouring blossom ; the other ex- 

 planation, which has been offered by the celebrated 

 Mr. Bauer, is that the influence of the pollen is not 

 communicated to the stigma, by actual contact of the 

 pollen, as is usual in other cases, but that it passes 

 down the stalk of the pollen-mass, into the gland, 

 and thence to the humid surface of the stigma ; and 

 he has shewn that great probability attaches to this 

 opinion, in consequence of the existence in such 

 plants as the Orchis itself, of a beautiful contrivance to 

 secure such a communication. He discovered that in 



