402 The Biology of Flowers 
results of Darwin’s investigations in floral biology universally quoted 
in school books; they are even willingly accepted by those who, as 
regards other questions, are opposed to Darwin's views. 
The works which we have mentioned are, however, not only of 
special interest because of the facts they contribute, but because of 
the manner in which the facts are expressed. A superficial reader 
seeking merely for catch-words will, for instance, probably find the 
book on cross and self-fertilisation rather dry because of the 
numerous details which it contains: it is, indeed, not easy to com- 
press into a few words the general conclusions of this volume. But 
on closer examination, we cannot be sufficiently grateful to the author 
for the exactness and objectivity with which he enables us to 
participate in the scheme of his researches. He never tries to 
persuade us, but only to convince us that his conclusions are based 
on facts; he always gives prominence to such facts as appear to be 
in opposition to his opinions,—a feature of his work in accordance 
with a maxim which he laid down:—“ It is a golden rule, which I try 
to follow, to put every fact which is opposed to one’s preconceived 
opinion in the strongest light?.” 
The result of this method of presentation is that the works 
mentioned above represent a collection of most valuable documents 
even for those who feel impelled to draw from the data other con- 
clusions than those of the author. Each investigation is the outcome 
of a definite question, a “preconceived opinion,” which is either 
supported by the facts or must be abandoned. “How odd it is 
that anyone should not see that all observation must be for or 
against some view if it is to be of any service?!” 
The points of view which Darwin had before him were principally 
the following. In the first place the proof that a large number of 
the peculiarities in the structure of flowers are not useless, but of 
the greatest significance in pollination must be of considerable 
importance for the interpretation of adaptations ; “The use of each 
trifling detail of structure is far from a barren search to those who 
believe in natural selection®.” Further, if these structural relations 
are shown to be useful, they may have been acquired because from 
the many variations which have occurred along different lines, those 
have been preserved by natural selection “which are beneficial to 
the organism under the complex and ever-varying conditions of life‘,” 
But in the case of flowers there is not only the question of adaptation 
to fertilisation to be considered. Darwin, indeed, soon formed the 
opinion which he has expressed in the following sentence,—“ From. 
1 More Letters, Vol. x1. p. 824. 2 Ibid. Vol. 1. p. 195. 
® Fertilisation of Orchids (1st edit.), p. 351; (2nd edit. 1904), p. 286. 
4 Ibid. p. 351. 
