IN JAVA, 



83 



seemed never to have had au effective visit paid them hy any 

 of the crowd of bees, butterflies, and beetles, among which 

 thoy blossomed. They were mostly terrestrial species, ophrtjB 

 chietly, luul wore some of them handsome, and very sweetly 

 scented j yet they might ii3 well have wasted their sweetness 

 on the desert air, for scarcely any of them over lost their pollen 

 masses, or had these fertilisiug grains applied to their own 

 stigmas. Since 'then I have carefally examined all orchids 

 that 1 have encountered, and have been surprised at the 

 immense numbers which — possessing brilliant, small, and nut 

 seldom even large flowers, often highly perfumed — never or 

 very rarely produce seed capsules, but which blossom and 

 fall without benefiting in any way their race. At Kosala I 

 was able to continue my observations both on those growing 

 natnraJIy in the forest as well as on those I reared in Mr, Lash's 

 garden, where, after once taking to tlie trees they were as 

 nearly as possible under natural conditions. The Ct/mhidium 

 tricolor produces flower-spikes often attaining a length of 

 nearly four feet, studded with florets which are rather sombre 

 in colour; yet it could scarcely be passed without attracting 

 admiration. Of the florets of several plants I counted, seventy- 

 nine per cent, had their poUinia intact, after, to all appearance, 

 having been exposed for a long time, and of tliose that had 

 ^ lost their pollinia not oue stigmatic surface had pollen grains 

 applied to it. On another occasion the whole of the florets 

 examined were un visited ; while on a third oeciision eighty-" 

 nine per cent, of the florets examined had their pollinia safe in 

 the anthers, nine per cent, being damaged, either having lost 

 their labellTini or having the column eaten by the larvae of a 

 species of CoccineUidm, One alone was frnctiiied. 



I gathered the rather rare CymUdium stapeUoides, grou ing 

 at a height of 2C00 feet above the sea, flowering on a iallcn 

 tree. 1 brought it home, 1000 feet lower, and flxed it to ft tree- 

 stem, to which it at once took kindly. None of the flowers 

 which were expanded when I found it were fertilised ; but one 

 of the bulbs had a stem with a solitary capsule. For three 

 weeks the plant remained in the condition in which I fuund 

 it, its large antl handsome, though somewhat duU-coloured, 

 flowers retaining their perfect freshness daring all ihk period, 

 I then took compassion on its barren state, and lertilised from 



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