418 Transactions.— Botany. 
Arr. LXI.—On the means of Fertilization among some New Zealand Orchids. 
By G. M. Tuomson. 
[Read before the Otago Institute, 11th June, 1878.] 
Tre following notes drawn up from jottings made during the past spring 
and summer, are by no means exhaustive, but may rather be looked upon 
as a small contribution to our already existing information on this interest- 
ing subject. 
Of the eleven genera which are represented in this part of the island, I 
have made more or less lengthened observations on ten, viz.: Karina, Den- 
drobium, Corysanthes, Microtis, Caladenia, Pterostylis, Chiloglottis, Lyperan- 
thus, Thelymitra and Prasophyllum. I was not fortunate enough to obtain 
specimens of Gastrodia, which is a very readily overlooked plant. 
Some of my specimens were cultivated, and thus yielded more certain 
information than those which were examined in the wild state. 
One fact which has struck me during these investigations is, that I have 
hardly ever been able to capture insects carrying pollen on any part of their 
body. Only when examining beds of Corysanthes have I found insects with 
pollinia. It is possible that the general coldness of the past season, and 
the remarkable scarcity of all kinds of insects, have had a good deal to do 
with this. If this is the case, of course a disturbing element has been 
introduced to some extent into my observations. 
Tribe EPrpexpREZ. 
(1.) Earina autumnalis, 
I have had a large clump of this species in cultivation all summer, but 
owing probably to the want of warmth it only came into bloom towards 
the end of March. It produced abundance of flowers, however, having 
about 1100 on it when examined on 6th April. 
The flowers are only about 3 of an inch in diameter, white in colour, 
with a yellow centre, and with an almost over-poweringly sweet perfume. 
The labellum is 3-lobed, stands nearly erect in front of the column, and has 
its lateral lobes produced forward at right angles to it. It bears two 
strongly marked longitudinal ridges on its surface, which almost touch the 
sides of the column, and leave a minute nearly square passage to its base. 
There is no nectary, but the tissue at the base of the labellum is easily 
punctured, and exudes beads of moisture. The column is short and erect, 
the stigmatic surface very concave, with the viscid rostellum projecting 
prominently forward above it. The anther is termitial and deciduous, and 
encloses four pyriform pollinia attached in pairs to a short caudicle. 
From the position of the parts it appears to be impossible that self- 
fertilization could take place. The pollinia are remarkably coherent, and 
