296 Transactions. — Botany. 



remote ancestor bearing flowers regularly cross-fertilized by insects, as is 

 the case with most Orchids at the present day. We should probably find 

 that from some reason — it might be from the flowers becoming less 

 attractive, or from the proper insects becoming less plentiful — the flowers 

 were not so regularly visited as before. It would then be an advantage to 

 the plant to be occasionally self-fertilized, in order that a sufficiency of seed 

 should be obtained to perpetuate the species. Varieties having a tendency 

 to self-fertilization would then be rigorously selected. The process of modi- 

 fication having once commenced, I see no difficulty in its being carried on to 

 any extent, provided that the visits of insects continued to decrease, and that 

 consequently the necessity for self-fertilization became more pressing. In 

 this way the species would become more and more self-dependent, until we 

 find it, as it is at present, almost uniformly self-fertilized. At the same 

 time, any structures existing in the flower for purposes of cross-fertilization 

 would hardly be modified if they did not prevent self-fertilization from taking 

 place, but would be retained in their original shape, although perhaps but 

 seldom, or even never, performing their proper functions. 



Most writers on the subject maintain that it is a positive disadvantage 

 to a species to be self-fertilized for a long length of time. But here we have 

 the case of a plant which is probably self- fertilized for many generations in 

 succession, but which is yet a vigorous and predominant species, accommo- 

 dating itself to a wide range of habitats, protecting itself against encroach- 

 ment by other species, and highly successful in the battle of life. 



Art. XXXVII. — Description of a New Species q/Loranthus. 

 By T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S. 

 [Read before the Auckland Institute, 25th October, 1880.] 

 Some time ago my friend, Mr. James Adams, the head master of the 

 Thames High School, kindly forwarded to me specimens of a handsome new 

 Loranthus discovered by him in the Thames district, and which differs 

 widely from any of the known species inhabiting New Zealand. During a 

 recent visit to the Thames I was able to examine the plant in a living state, 

 and to obtain a good series of specimens, from which the following descrip- 

 tion has been drawn up. I have much pleasure in associating the name of 

 the discoverer with the species. 



Loranthus adamsii, n.sp. 

 A small perfectly glabrous bush, two to three feet in height. Branches 

 terete. Leaves opposite, one and a half to two and a half inches long, 



