34 OPHEE j;. Chap. I. 



In the second lot of 0. morio, in the preceding list, 

 Ave see the injurious effects of the extraordinary cold 

 and wet season of 1860 on the visits of insects, and, 

 consequently, on the fertilisation of this Orchid, very 

 few seed-capsules having been produced. 



I have examined spikes of 0. pyramidalis in which 

 every single expanded flower had its poUinia removed. 

 The forty-nine lower flowers of a spike from Folkestone 

 (sent me by Sir Charles Lyell) actually produced forty- 

 eight fine seed-capsules ; and of the sixty-nine lower 

 flowers in three other spikes, seven alone had failed to 

 produce capsules. These facts show how well moths 

 and butterflies perform their office of marriage-priests.* 



The third lot of 0. jpyramidcdis in the above list 

 grew on a steep grassy bank, overhanging the sea near 

 Torquay, and where there were no bushes or other 

 shelter for Lepidoptera ; being sui-prised how lew pol- 

 linia had been removed, though the spikes were old 

 and very many of the lower flowers withered, I gathered, 

 for comparison, six other spikes from two bushy and 

 sheltered valleys, half a mile on each side of the 

 exposed bank ; these spikes were certainly younger, 

 and would probably have had several more of their 

 poUinia removed ; but in their present condition we 

 see how much more frequently they had been visited by 

 moths, and consequently fertilised, than those growing 

 on the much exposed bank. The Bee Ophrys and 

 0. pyramidalis grow mingled together in many parts 

 of England ; and they did so here, but the Bee Ophrys, 

 instead of being, as usual, the rarer species, was hero 



* In the summer of 1S75, which ing fertilised ; and on this occasion 

 was a very wet one, I gatlieied six onJy 119 flowers produced cap- 

 unusually fine spikes of O. pyra- sules, 183 Ijaving failed to do so. 

 midalie. These bore 302 flowers. Six spikes of 0. macuZota bore 187 

 excluding fourteen which were still flowers, of which eighty-two pro- 

 fuliy expanded and capable of be- duced capsules, 105 having faileiL 



