54 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Orchis mascula, Linn. (fig. i) Pollinia 2, about 

 one-sixth to one-eighth of an inch long ; pollen 

 grains collected into oblong corpuscules which 

 form an obovoid brownish green or blackish 

 mass; caudicles yellow, subterete, slightly 

 more than half the entire length of the 

 pollinium ; retinacula pink, both contained in 

 the same pouch, distinct. The tubercules of this 

 species are sometimes lobed, which would connect 

 the simple or undivided kind of tubercule of this 

 species, with the divided or palmate kind of the 

 next (0. metadata, etc). Both the tubercules of a 

 specimen sent to me by Mr. Pickard, of Wolsing- 

 ham, Durham, were thus sub-divided. 



Orchis maculata, Linn. (fig. 2) Pollinia 2, about 

 one-fifteenth of an inch long ; pollen grains collected 

 into corpuscules forming an obovoid greenish mass ; 

 caudicles slender, yellowish, retinacula contained 

 in the same pouch, small, distinct, opalescent. 



Orchis pyramidalis, Linn. (fig. 3) Pollinia 2, about 

 one-tenth of an inch in length, sub-clavate, united 

 by their saddle-shaped connate retinacula, some- 

 times oblique ; caudicles as long as the obovoid, 

 olivaceous mass of rounded corpuscules of pollen 

 grains, enlarged and laterally compressed above ; 

 light yellow, transparent ; retinacula connate, 

 forming a saddle-shaped body, white and very 

 viscid. The pollen-masses of this and other species 

 of the order present distinct movements ;f when the 

 pollinia are taken from the flower upon the point of 

 a needle they will appear erect and parallel to each 

 other, but after a few minutes they will be seen to 

 have become nearly horizontal and divergent, from 

 the contraction of the saddled-shaped retinacula. 



Habenaria conopsea, Linn. (Gymnadenia conopsea, 

 Br. — fig. 4) Pollinia 2, about one-twentieth of an inch 

 long, erect ; mass of pollen light green, composed of 

 rounded corpuscules of pollen grains, ovoid or sub- 

 globose ; caudicles light green, as long as the mass 

 of pollen corpuscules; terete.enlarged above; retina- 

 cula contiguous, exposed, not contained in pouches. 



Ophrys apifera, Huds. (fig. 5) Pollinia 2, about 

 one-sixth of an inch in length, erect, then divergent, 

 and ultimately pendulous ; mass of pollen yellow, 

 obovoid, slightly compressed laterally ; composed of 

 small globular corpuscules, caudicles one-and-a-half 

 to twice as long as the mass of pollen corpuscules, 

 with a central articulation, yellowish ; retinacula dis- 

 tinct, in separate pouches, oblong, white and viscid. 



Ophrys musci/era, Huds. (fig. 6) Pollinia 2, about 

 one-eighth of an inch long, erect ; mass of pollen 

 obovoid, yellow, laterally compressed, composed of 

 large corpuscules of pollen grains ; caudicles as long 

 as the mass of pollen corpuscules and compressed 

 at right angles to it, yellow, transparent ; retinacula 

 in two distinct, remote pouches ; rather large ; 

 discoid, white. 



Aceras anthropophora, Br. (fig. 7) Pollinia 2, 

 t Henfrey's Elementary Course of Botany, pp. 383 and 629. 



about one-twentieth of an inch long, mass of 

 pollen broadly obovate, very light yellow or whitish, 

 composed of a few large globular corpuscules of 

 pollen grains ; caudicles dirty yellow, shorter than 

 or as long as the mass of pollen, tapering towards 

 its base and slightly compressed vertically ; 

 retinacula small, connate whitish ; both contained 

 in the same pouch. 



Epipactis latifolia, Sw. (fig. 8) Pollinia 2, one- 

 eighth to one-tenth of an inch long, obovate 

 clavate or narrow ovoid, oblique, composed of a 

 yellow homogenous powdery mass of pollen grains, 

 each pollinium having a longitudinal slit, tapering 

 below ; caudicles O ; retinacula connate, discoid, 

 white. 



Gephalanthera grandiflora, Bab. (fig. 9) Pollinia 2, 

 one-eighth to one-tenth of an inch in length, 

 broadly clavate, oblique, terete, pollen yellow, 

 powdery ; caudicles O ; retinacula connate, 

 whitish, greatly resembling those of Epipactis 

 latifolia in several respects. 



Listera ovata, Br. (fig. 10) Pollinia 2, yellow, 

 about one-twelfth of an inch in length, broadly 

 clavate, oblong or oblique, terete, each with a deep 

 longitudinal slit, tapering below ; pollen powdery ; 

 caudicles O ; retinacula connate, large, oblong, 

 opalescent. 



Listera cordata, Br. (fig. 11) Pollinia 2, yellow, 

 about one-thirtieth of an inch in length, sub-clavate ; 

 caudicles O ; retinacula connate, very like those of 

 L. ovata, but much smaller. 



In the other sub-divisions of the order, the tribe 

 Arethusese, containing one British species, is 

 distinguished by its two-celled anther and two 

 pollinia, composed of loose pollen grains. The 

 Malaxideas containing several species, are known 

 by their two-celled anther, with four waxy pollen 

 masses, and the Cypripedieas by their two lateral 

 imperfectly two-celled anthers ; this tribe also 

 contains a single indigenous species. 

 43a, Brecknock Road, N:W.; April, 1894. 



EARLY SUMMER MIGRANTS. 

 Among the signs of an early spring, many 

 records have been made of the appearance of 

 summer birds at much earlier dates than usual. 

 The chiff-chaff appeared at Harting, in Sussex, on 

 March 16th. The cuckoo is reported at various 

 dates from March 28th ; the earliest day on which 

 we heard it, was April 8th at Epsom, but we are 

 credibly informed of its appearance between Holm- 

 wood and Leith Hill, Surrey, on the 5th. The 

 ring ouzel is reported from the Pentland Hills on 

 April 2nd ; the sandmartin in co. Carlow on March 

 21st; swallows at Tenby on March 22nd; stone 

 curlew, March 28th ; tree pipit, March 26th ; 

 wheatear, March 24th ; willow warbler, March 

 26th; wryneck, March 27th ; nightingale, April 5th, 

 at Holmwood. 



