140 Scientific Intelligence. 



matter, promptly hardening, like a cement, will adhere firmly to ■what ther 



gland by their stalk or caudicle, will be drawn out of their cells and carried 

 away ; how, through a curious, probably hygrometic change of form or unequal 

 Gontracility of the viscid gland, now attached to the object, the pollen-masses 

 turn forward or become depressed, within a minute or so; and how, on return- 

 ing the bristle or pencil-point to its former position, or inserting it into the 

 nectar of another flower, the pollen will now be almost surely brought into 

 GonUct with the broad viscid stigma situated just beneath the pouch and 



;3 will be left on it, but usually only a small part of it. For the 



stalk, being weaker than the attachment of the gland to the probos- 

 r object on the one hand, and than the cohesion of the pollen to the 

 tigraa on the other, some of these packets of pollen will be torn 

 the mass and left on the stigma ; others upon the stigma of the next 



nished with a proboscis adapted to reach the attractive liquid. The sticky 

 glands are placed just where the probociss or the head of the insect must needs 

 come in contact with them; and the protecting pouch preserves their viscidity 

 (which here is quickly lost by drying) for the moment when it is turned to 

 useful account. Tlie pollen masses extracted from one flower must needs be 

 conveyed to other flowers and other plants, and applied to their stigmas ; and 

 the cohesion of the packets of pollen, by their elastic threads, to the mass is so 

 coordinated to the glutinosity of the stigma, as generally to ensure that the 

 contents of the anther of one flower shall be distributed among the stigmas ot 

 several other and perhaps distant flowers, while it rarely, if ever, will reach its 

 own. Here the closest hermaphroditism in structure subserves almost perfect 



We lose much in not having Orchis pyramidalis in this country ; for its con- 

 trivances, as described by Mr. Darwin, are indeed exquisite. The figures that 

 accompany Mr. Darwin's account render it very clear; without them a bnei 

 abstract may be hardly intelligible. The flower differs from that of other true 

 Orchises in having two quite distinct oval stigmatic surfaces, separated by the 

 pouch, which is here carried further downwards than usual, projecting into th^ 

 nectary or spur a little below its orifice, which it partially closes. It is hoi- 

 lowed out on the under side in the middle, and the space is filled with im- 

 The gland, or viscid disc, is single, in fact it answers to the two glands of an 

 ordinarv Orchis united into one, of the shape of a saddle, carrying on its 

 flattish'top or seat the stalks of the two pollen masses. " The disc is partiaH,^ 

 hidden and kept damp (which is of great importance) by the largely over-tolde 

 bajsal membranes of the two anther-cells. The upper membrane of the ai^^ 



lined beneath with a layer of highly adhesive matter." When all is^ ready. '^ 

 the lip of the pouch be depressed, for which the slightest touch suffices, "tn 

 under and viscid surface of the disc, still remaining in its proper place, is "^^ 

 covered, and is almost certain to adhere to the touching object. Even 

 human hair, when pushed into the nectary, is stiff" enough to depress the npt 

 or pouch, and the viscid surface of the saddle adheres to it. If, however, tje 

 lip be touched too slightly, it springs back, and re-covers the under side ot tne 

 saddle." , 



" The perfect adaptation of the parts is well shown by cutting ofi'tlie end oi 



tion to that in which Nature intended moths' to insert the'ir proboscis, and it 

 will be found that the rostellum (or pouch) may easily be torn or penetrated, 

 but that the saddle is rarely or never caught. * * * Lastlv, the labellam i* 



