Chap. VU. MTANTHUS BAEBATUS. 203 



every naturalist, but can never be observed witho.ut 

 renewed interest. At a period not far distant, natura- 

 lists will hear with surprise, perhaps with derision, that 

 grave and learned men formerly maintained that such 

 useless organs were not remnants retained by inherit- 

 ance, but were specially created and arranged in their 

 proper places like dishes on a table (this is the simile 

 of a distinguished botanist) by an Omnipotent hand 

 " to complete the scheme of nature." 



The third form, Myanfhus harbatus (fig. 31, B), is 



sometimes borne on the same plant together with the 



two preceding forms. The flowers differ greatly in 



external appearance, but not in essential structure, 



from those of both the other forms. They generally 



stand in a reversed position, compared with those of 



Catasetum tridentatum and of Monachdnfhus viridis, 



that is, with the labellum downwards. The labellum 



is fringed in an extraordinary manner with long 



papillae; it has a quite insignificant medial cavity, 



at the hinder margin of which a curious curved and 



flattened horn projects, which represents the anvil-like 



projection on the labellum of the male C. callosum. 



The other petals and sepals are spotted and elongated, 



with the two lower sepals alone reflexed. The antennas 



are not so long as in the male G. tridentatum; they 



project symmetrically on each side of the horn-like 



process at the base of the labellum, with their tips, 



which are not roughened with papillae, almost entering 



the medial cavity. The stigmatic chamber is of nearly 



intermediate size between that of the male and female 



forms; it is lined with utriculi charged with brown 



matter. The straight and well-furrowed ovarium is 



nearly twice as long as that of the female Monachan- 



thus, but not so thick where it joins the flower; the 



ovules are opaque and pulpy after having been kept 



