PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 261 
three or four of its flowers will begin to open, and the anthers to show 
themselves. The stroke of the morning sun, an abrupt eddy of wind, 
whi i) 
— So long as the anthers are cafe t by the half-opened pales in 
ore or less vertical position in apright ears no pollen is dis- 
the anther. If an ear of Rye ready to blossom is placed under a glass 
shade, and the flowering watched, it will be seen that no dehiscence 
takes place until the anther is at least in a horizontal position, or 
falls into that or a lower inclination with a jerk. The rapid exten- 
Ss, un’ th 
cup altogether, and hangs with the opening lowermost. But even in 
this position the adhesion of the tap ssa s to the inner sides of the 
obes, prevents complete discharge where there is no mechanical dis- 
turbance. It is probable that fortilisation usually results from the 
few pollen- -grains which fall out on the inside of the pales as the 
may not come into contact with the stigma until after the flower 
has again closed. This result is more probable in Wheat, Barley, 
and Oats, than in Rye. The anthers of Rye are very much larger 
than those of the other cereals, and contain a far larger number 
of pollen-grains— about 40,000 each. But notwithstanding 
this large provision, there are always in Rye far more 
rren ovaries i at, Barley, and Oats; which seems to 
sides, the discharging pores of the nerally 
outside before any discharge takes place, so “that reser a must be 
either cross, or due to little eddies of air carryin ew gral ns 
be avoided. And yet thi arranted in view a the 
Italian Barley, the polle n of. whieh 3 is cope inside the siansuet 
pales—whether wholly or but partly is = ——, The 
e anther u > poll 
out mec raeatiy: & m the waving of the ear, fecundation is more 
cecuinas siocangiichad in the close flower than in the open ; for 
