A FEW NATIVE ORCHIDS 



217 



be working at the top of the spike. He thrusts 

 his tongue into the narrow opening (G). The 

 membrane protecting the pollen-gland, thus sure- 

 ly touched, ruptures as described, and the exposed 

 gland attaches itself to the tongue, being with- 

 drawn as at H, and located on the insect's 



anther lid 



' sfigmd. 'j 



membrano. 



c 



Fig. 20 



tongue, as in F, Fig. 20. The bee leaves this 

 flower cluster and flies to another, upon which it 

 will usually begin operation at the bottom. The 

 flower thus first encountered is an old bloom, as 

 in Fig. 19, D. Its sepals are more spreading, the 

 lip slightly lowered, and the column so changed 



