A FEW NATIVE ORCHIDS 



193 



are many of these smaller sphinxes. Let us sup- 

 pose one to be hovering at the blossom's throat. 

 Its slender capillary tongue enters the opening. 

 Ere it can reach the sweets the insect's head 

 must be forced well into the throat of the blos- 

 som, where we now 

 observe a most re- 

 markable special pro- 

 vision, the space be- 

 tween the two pollen 

 discs being exactly ad- 

 justed to the diameter 



of the insect's head. 



What follows this en- 

 trance of the moth 



is plainly pictured in 



the progressive series 



of illustrations (Fig. 



6). A represents the 



insect sipping ; the 



sticky discs are 



brougjht in contact 



with the moth's eyes, 



to which they ad- 

 here, and by which 



they are withdrawn 



from their pouches 

 13 



Fig. 6 



