404 THE SELF-FERTILIZATION OF PLANTS. 



many dozen plants, some time after the flowering 

 season; and, on all, I found from one to four, and 

 occasionally five, fine capsules; that is, as many cap- 

 sules, as there had been flowers (/) ; in extremely few 

 cases (excepting a few deformed flowers, generally on 

 the summit of the spike), could a flower be found ivhich 

 had not produced a capside (/). Let it be observed, what 

 a contrast this case presents, with that of the Fly Ophrys, 



WHICH REQUIRES INSECT AGENCY, and which FROM 

 FORTY-NINE FLOWERS, PRODUCED ONLY SEVEN CAPSULES ! 



" From what I have seen of other British Orchids, I 

 was so much surprised at the self-fertilization of this 

 species, that, during many years, I have looked at the 

 state of the pollen-masses in hundreds of flowers, and 

 I have never seen, in a single instance, reason to be- 

 lieve that pollen had been brought from one flower to 

 another. Excepting in a few monstrous flowers, I 

 have never seen an instance of the pollinia failing to 

 reach their own stigma." 



These results stare him in the face. Not only, as 

 he admits, does it " seem conclusive, that we here have 

 a plant which is self-fertilized for perpetuity;" but, 

 these plants even exceed — and enormously exceed — 

 the crossed plants, in fertility! The test of fertility, 

 here flatly contradicts his " law." 



After such a blow at his law, he concludes to aban- 

 don such a dangerous test. He falls back upon one 

 of those mysterious, occult factors, which he evokes, 

 whenever he is in a dilemma, and vaguely declares 

 that ''some great good" is derived from crossing, and 

 some kind of evil from self-fertilization. He even says 

 (p. 71), respecting the "some great good" (which the 

 reader will remember has, with him, ever been in- 



