380 Scott Elliot,— On the Fertilisation of South 
withdrawing the pollinium by a bristle in the way an insect 
would do, the pollen-mass immediately drops through 6o°, 
or even 90°, and if one now introduces the bristle with the 
attached pollinium below the coil of another flower, it is seen 
that this inclination brings it in contact with the stigmata 
which lie on either side and just below the labellum. I found 
that in a hundred flowers examined, six had one, and two 
both pollinia removed. Some of the numerous long-tongued 
Diptera would be quite able to fertilise this flower (cf. 
Bolus, ‘ Orchids of the Cape Peninsula ’). Mr. Weale has 
described a species of Disperis from the Kagaberg, but unless 
I misunderstand his description, the structure is very different 
from this species (Muller, No. 765). 
Moraea. 
The different species of this genus show a great deal of 
variation in some important characters. Thus in Moraea 
tristis, Ker (No. 1148 I) 1 , there is no very obvious difference 
between the external and internal perianth-segments, which 
together form a campanulate tube down which insects may 
crawl in any direction : moreover, the style-branches are short 
(though broad) and supported on a column fully 3 lines 
long. In Moraea tripetala , Ker (No. 1081 !) the internal 
perianth-segments have almost disappeared, while the 
style-branches are separate almost to their bases and each 
is so closely applied to its corresponding external perianth- 
segment as to form a complete tube down which the insects 
are obliged to crawl. All the species which I studied may 
be grouped between these two, and form a gradual series 
of transitions (Figs. 133 and 142). 
Moraea tristis, Ker (No. 1148 !) (Figs. 133, 134). 
Honey is secreted at the base of the external perianth- 
segment. Visitors very rare. 
Moraea edulis, Ker (No. 1199 !). 
The flowers are purple and the external perianth-segments 
1 The species are so hard to distinguish that I have quoted my collecting 
numbers throughout. The originals are at Edinburgh or Kew. 
