228 THE ORCHID REVIEW. | AUGUST, 1923. 
crossing C. Schroedere with Lelia Coronet (cinnabarina X harpophylla), 
and Lc. Helius, the result of crossing Cattleya Mossiz with Lc. G. S. Ball 
(L. cinnabarina X C. Schroederze). Lc. Helius was first raised by Messrs. 
J. & A. McBean, and is the subject of a coloured plate in the Orchid World 
(vol. III, p. 140); while another pleasing example was exhibited by Mr. 
Harry Dixon at the Chelsea Show. These results seem to show that C. 
‘Schroeder, on account of its delicate colouring, is particularly adapted for 
working up a large flower having the attractive cinnabar tinting that is so 
characteristic of this Lelia species. 
In common with most of the long-bulbed species of the genus, Lelia 
cinnabarina produces seeds that germinate freely in large numbers, hence 
it has been much used in the past by amateurs. But now one rarely sees a 
plant of this Lelia, and a flowering example is indeed difficult to obtain, 
-for importations have been few and far between in recent years. 
ee 
FERTILISATION OF STANHOPEA TIGRINA. 
HE large flowers of Stanhopea tigrina are always attractive, and the 
curiously constructed labellum has been likened to a cage which forms 
-the lowest part of the pendulous inflorescence. In order to ascertain by 
what exact method fertilisation is effected certain experiments were carried 
out by Dr. J. C. Willis, M.A., and published as ‘‘ Contributions to the 
Natural History of the Flower” (Journ. Linn. Soc., xxx., p. 284). The 
author states that “ the flower possesses a very powerful vanilla-like odour, 
-which gives a headache to a person sitting over it for any time, and renders 
_our British bees almost incapable of walking if they are shut in with the 
flower for a couple of hours. The cage formed by the column and labellum 
hangs downward, and is extremely slippery inside and out except in a few 
spots, viz., the stalk portion of the column, the interior of the bucket (the 
slipperiness begins at the mouth of the bucket), and the back of the same. 
It was found by experiments with hive and humble-bees that they were 
unable to climb up the slippery labellum.” 
“This fact, taken together with the pendulous position of the flower and 
-the arrangement of the viscid disc, renders it evident that the flower cannot 
‘be fertilised by entrance of insects at the mouth of the cage. This suggested 
that the removal, or insertion into the stigma, of the pollinia was effected 
by sliding down inside the cage. This idea was tested by enclosing the flower 
in a large glass bell-jar and putting a number of large humble-bees in with 
it. After vainly duzzing round the glass for some time, these began to visit 
the flower, and their actions were carefully watched. Sometimes they 
alighted on the petals and wandered about upon them; but others found 
their way into the bucket by flying straight through the large openings 
£ 
