Preface. xi 



contrivances for this purpose in Digitalis purpurea, 

 he adds, " Great attention has of late years been paid 

 by naturalists to the wonderful contrivances amongst 

 flowers to secure cross-fertilisation. But the structure 

 of many cannot, I believe, be understood unless we 

 take into consideration not only the beautiful adapta- 

 tions for securing the services of the proper insect or 

 bird, but also the contrivances for preventing insects 

 that would not be useful from obtaining access to the 

 nectar;" and he instances the lengthy spur of 

 Angr cecum sesguipedale. 



These are the only anticipations of Kerner that I 

 have found in books, though doubtless there may be, nay 

 probably are, others unknown to me. I may, however, 

 perhaps be forgiven the little egotism that prompts me 

 to give the foUowiag account of observations made by 

 myself. 



In the early spring of 1876 I was spending a 

 holiday at the Italian lakes. Close to my inn was a 

 bank profusely covered with rough grass and flowers, 

 amongst which Lychnis viscaria was pre-eminent. 

 Having it constantly before me, I was led to speculate 

 as to the possible uses of the viscous secretion, which 

 in this plant forms a ring round the stem, just 'above 

 each of the higher nodes. I was not then acquainted 

 with the passage cited above from Mr. Belt's book, and 

 my first surmise was that the viscous matter might act 

 as a trap for small insects, which were to be seen 



