140 MALAXEiE Chap. V. 



drum (see fig. B) which lies behind the rostellum. 

 When the flower is expanded the two pollinia, 

 united into a single mass, lie quite loose on the 

 clinandrum and under the anther-case. The labellum 

 embraces the column, leaving a passage in front. The 

 middle portion of the labellum (as may be seen in. 

 fig. A) is thickened, and extends up as far as the 

 top of the stigma. The lowest part of the column 

 is developed into a saucer-like nectary, which secretes 

 honey. 



As an insect forces its way into one of these flowers, 

 the labellum, which is elastic, will yield, and the 

 projecting lip of the anther will protect the rostellum 

 from being disturbed ; but as soon as the insect 

 retreats, the lip of the anther wiU be lifted up, and 

 the viscid matter from the rostellum forced into the 

 anther, gluing the pollen-mass to the insect, which 

 will thus be transported to another flower. I easily 

 imitated this action ; but as the pollen-masses have 

 no caudicle and lie rather far back within the cUnan- 

 drum beneath the anther, and as the matter from the 

 rostellum is not highly viscid, they were sometimes 

 left behind. 



Owing to the inclination of the base of the clinan- 

 drum, and owing to the length and elasticity of the 

 filament, as soon as the anther is lifted up it always 

 springs forward, over the rostellum, and remains 

 hanging there with its lower empty surface (fig. C) sus- 

 pended over the summit of the stigma. The filament 

 now stretches across the space (see fig. B) which 

 was originally covered by the anther. Several times, 

 having cut off all the petals and labellum, and laid 

 the flower under the microscope, I raised the lip of the 

 anther with a needle, without disturbing the rostellum, 

 and saw the anther assume, with a spring, the position 



