96 NEOTTE^. Chap. IV. 



front of each poUinium, where it comes into contact 

 with the back of the uppermost part of the rostellum. 

 From the number of these threads this middle line 

 looks brown, and each pollen-mass here shows a 

 tendency to divide longitudinally into halves. In all 

 these respects there is a close general resemblance to 

 the poUinia of the Ophreae. 



The line where the parallel threads are the most 

 numerous is the line of greatest strength ; elsewhere 

 the pollen-masses are extremely friable, so that large 

 portions can easily be broken off. In the bud-state 

 the rostellum is curved a little backwards, and is 

 pressed against the recently-opened anther ; and the 

 above-mentioned slightly projecting bundles of threads 

 become firmly attached to the posterior flap of the 

 membranous cap of the rostellum. The point of attach- 

 ment lies a little beneath the summit of the pollen- 

 masses ; but the exact point is somewhat variable, for 

 I have met with specimens in which the attachment 

 was one-fifth of the length of the pollen-masses from 

 their summits. This variability is so far interesting, 

 as it is a step leading to the structure of the Ophrese, 

 in which the confluent threads, or caudicles, always 

 spring from the lower ends of the pollen-masses. After 

 the pollinia are firmly attached by their threads to 

 the back of the rostellum, the rostellum bends a little 

 forwards, and this partly draws the pollinia out of the 

 anther-cells. The upper end of the anther consists of a 

 blunt, solid point, not including pollen ; this blunt point 

 projects slightly beyond the face of the rostellum, 

 which circumstance, as we shall see, is important. 



The flowers stand out (fig. A) almost horiozontally 

 from the stem. The labellum is curiously shaped, as 

 may be seen in the drawings : the distal half, which 

 projects beyond the other petals and forms an excellent 



