500 ON THE ORGANS AND MODE OF FECUNDATION 



processes or appendages of the column are so remarkably 

 developed ; and I afterwards, in searching for additional 

 confirmations of the hypothesis, believed I had found such 

 in the more minute lateral auriculse of the column present 

 in most Ophrydese. 



These auriculse, however, though they might serve to 

 confirm, would hardly have suggested the hypothesis, at the 

 period especially of which I speak. They had indeed until 

 then been altogether overlooked, except by Malpighi,^ by 

 Curtis in his Mora Londinensis, perhaps in Walcott's Plora 

 Britannica, and by Mr. Bauer, whom they were not likely 

 to escape. 



In my recent observations on Apostasia, referred to, I 

 noticed a singular monstrosity of Habenaria hifolia, which, 

 if such deviations from ordinary structure are always to be 

 trusted, would throw great doubt on the hypothesis 

 being apphcable to these auriculse of Ophrydese. For in 

 this case, in which three antherse are formed, auriculse not 

 only exist on the middle or ordinary stamen, but one is 

 also found on the upper side of each of the lateral antherse, 

 which are here opposite to two divisions of the outer series 

 of the perianthium. I have lately met with another in- 

 stance of a similar monstrosity equally unfavourable ; and I 

 may add that this doubt is still further strengthened by my 

 not being able to find vascular cords connected with these 

 auriculse in the only plants of Ophrydese in which I have 

 carefully examined, with this object, the structure of the 

 column, namely. Orchis Morio, mascula, and latifolia. 



I do not indeed regard the absence of vessels as a com- 

 plete proof of these auriculse not being rudimentary stamina. 

 But I may remark, that in the other tribes of Orchidese, in 

 698] many of whose genera analogous processes are found, and 

 in which tribes alone cases of their complete development 

 have hitherto been observed, vessels not only generally 

 exist in these processes, but may be traced to their expected 

 origins, namely, into those cords which also supply the 

 inner lateral divisions of the perianthium. 



Although not necessarily connected with my subject, I 

 ' Op. Om. tab. 25, fig. 142. 



