CUAP. VI. COEYANTHES. 175 



This spout is closely over-arched by the end of the 

 column, which bears the stigma and pollen-masses in 

 such a position, that an insect forcing its way out of 

 the bucket through this passage would first brush with 

 its back against the stigma and afterwards against the 

 viscid discs of the poUinia, and thus remove them. 

 We are now prepared to hear what Dr. Criiger says 

 about the fertilisation of an allied species, the C. 

 maerantha, the labellum of which is provided with 

 crests.* I may premise that he sent me specimens of 

 the bees which he saw gnawing these crests, and they 

 belong, as I am informed by Mr. F. Smith, to the genus 

 Euglossa. Dr. Cruger states that these bees may be 

 " seen in great numbers disputing with each other for 

 a place on the edge of the hypochil (i. e. the basal part 

 of the labellum). Partly by this contest, partly perhaps 

 intoxicated by the matter they are indulging in, they 

 tumble down into the ' bucket,' half-full of a fluid 

 secreted by organs situated at the base of the column. 

 They then crawl along in the water towards the 

 anterior side of the bucket, where there is a passage 

 for them between the opening of this and the column. 

 If one is early on the look-out, as these Hymenopterae 

 are early risers, one can see in every flower how 

 fecundation is performed. The humble-bee, in forcing 

 its way out of its involuntary bath, has to exert itself 

 considerably, as the mouth of the epichil (i. e. the 

 distal part of the labellum) and the face of the column 

 fit together exactly, and are very stiff and elastic. The 

 first bee, then, which is immersed will have the gland 



* ' Journal of Linn. Soo. Bot.' drawing of C./eildingii in ' Jour- 



vol. viii. 1864, p. 130. There is nal of Hort. Soo.' vol. iii. p. 16. 



a drawing of fliia species in Pax- I am indebted to Mr. Thiselton 



ton's ' Mag. of Botany,' vol. T. p. Dyer for informing me of these 



31, but it ia too complicated to be figures, 

 reproduced. There is also a 



