BOTANY. 751 
artificially from other flowers on the same plant. One large per- 
fect capsule of seed resulted from this attempt. In this capsule 
the indentations around the middle, which forms so constant & 
feature in this species was not present. Was this variation from 
the usual form the result of unusually perfect fertilization, or from 
the protection from the puncture of insect afforded the seed-pod 
by the gauze? This peculiarity of the seed-pods of the filamen- 
tosa calls for further investigation. If it be a development of the 
natural growth of the plant and not caused by external agencies, 
: it is interesting to note how it may be made to vary as in the 
above case. If it be caused by deficient fertilization or from the 
puncture of insects, why are the indentations so uniformly in the 
middle of the capsule? 
In the three experiments where pollen was used, the pollen was 
placed as nearly as possible in the same position in each flower, 
viz., just at the entrance to the stigmatic tube; the result con- 
firms the view taken by Dr. Engelmann in relation to the diffi- 
culty of this flower being pollenized by other natural agencies. 
than that afforded by the yucca moth. She thrusts her mass of 
pollen far into the stigmatic opening, thus insuring fertilization. 
If, as is probable, the yucca plant preceded the yucca moth in exist- 
ence, the plant is so prolific in bloom and in seeds, that if but a very 
small proportion of the flowers were fertilized by the usual agen- 
cies, there would still be enough seeds produced to perpetuate the 
species abundantly ; for each capsule contains from one to three 
hundred seeds. After the seeds on my plant had turned black 
and before the yucca grubs had eaten out, forty-one capsules were 
carefully examined, of these twenty-four contained grubs, one held 
six of the little fellows. In no case was there more than one grub 
found in the same end of a row of, seeds, occasionally one was 
found at each end of a row and the grubs were found quite as of- 
ten at one end as at the other of the capsules. My plant was fre- 
quently disturbed. It would appear from the unusually large pro- 
portion of capsules without grubs, that the moth may be more 
- successful in fertilizing the flowers when disturbed, than in find- 
ing a safe harbor for her eggs. If the discoveries made in regard 
to the fertilization of this plant can be sustained on further inves- 
tigation, more than ordinary intelligence must be ascribed to the 
~ yucca moth, Ist, for her foresight in making ready the way for 
~ her progeny to be supported, and this, by indirect means; 2nd, in 
