NOTES ON VIGNA VEXILLATA. 29 
sheath, having a distinct bend inwards about the middle of the curve; 
this bend actsas a powerful lever on the style. The stigma is found just 
inside the aperture at the end. The pistil is arranged as in the pea 
and is inside the sheath. 
Having thus described the flower we will see how all these 
appliances are brought into play for the purpose of fertilization. 
The insect in search of honey makes for the yellow centre of the 
flower, alighting on the lip or ale which lies on the hump. Forcing 
its head into the centre of the flower, all its weight is exerted in press- 
ing down the hump, which acis on the lever in the carpel and forces 
the style so far through the aperture as to cause the stigma to rub 
against the insect’s back, and so obtain the pollen which has been 
brought from another flower. On the insect retiring the style 
springs back again into its place. — 
But if we look again at the sheath we find that the aperture is too 
small to admit of the stamens protruding at the same time as the 
pistil, but become crowded together inside the opening of the sheath. 
Here another curious contrivance is provided. Along the end of 
the style on the inside of the curve, after the stigma, is placed a 
brush with the hairs projecting outwards. As the style projects this 
brush carries off the pollen from the anthers and leaves it on the 
insect’s back to fertilize the next flower it may visit. During my 
short stay at Matheran I did not have an opportunity of noticing an 
insect visit one of these flowers, but the projecting style curves so 
exactly over the spot where the insect would be situated to secure 
the honey that there seems but little doubt that this is the process 
that is gone through. 
Any one taking one of these flowers in the hand and depressing 
the keel only as much as would be done by a bee at work will notice 
the end of the pistil suddenly appear to the extent of nearly half an 
inch, bringing with it the brush charged with yellow pollen, which it 
has carried with it on its way through the opening in the sheath. 
It would be interesting if any one could prove by observation that 
my conjecture is a correct one. A. G. Cann. 
Since writing the above, Dr. T. Cooke has pointed out to me that 
Prof. Miiller in his “ Fertilization of Flowers,” has remarked on all 
these peculiarities of the papilionacex, but Miller says: “ In all these 
groups, the stigma and the pollen are applied to the wnder side of 
the bee,” which leads mo to think that this particular flower has not 
come under the Professor’s notice. 
