one of these plants, which belonged to the subspecies Bertolmii, Mor., at the base of the column of the monstrous flower, which was prolonged below the stigmatic cavity, three distinct spots served to mark the position of the three nerves or bundles of spiral vessels, of which the two lateral ones belong to the missing stamens, and the central one to the mid nerve of the labellum. At fig. 3 I have given a sketch of this flower, which was the lowest on its spike, but not placed in the axil of

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... bract. Dr. Masters * mentions several instances of similar modifications, which appear to be not uncommon in Orchidacese ; but I do not h d any allusiou to the presence of three spots at the base of the column which serve to illustrate the position of the spiral vessels traced by Mr. Darwin in the labellum. These spots were entirely superficial. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE. Fig. 1, abnormal flower of Serapius lingua, L., of the natural size ; fig. 1 a, upper sepal ; 1 6 and 1 c, semilabelliforni lateral sepals ; 1 d, labellum ; 1 c and 1 f, pet& ; 1 g, the column ; 1 h, bass1 portions of the lateral sepals end of the labellum, the column having been removed 60 as to show the course of the three groups of spiral vessels which enter the labellum, and of their branches which supply the lateral sepals : figs. 1 a to 1 h, all magnified. Fig. 2, normal flower of 8. lingua, L., of the natural size ; 2 a, lateral sepal of the mme, slightly magnified. Wig. 3, abnormal flower of subsp. Bhrys Bertolonii, Mor., of the natural size. The materials in our possession, beside others to which: we have access, are very considerable. W e possess almost a complete set of those which were collected by the late Dr. Gardner ; those transmitted by Mr. llhwaites comprise more than twelve hundred numbers, above three hundred of which have been beautifully figured ; while those of Dr. Konig, preserved in the British Museum, have already been described by one of us in the ' Annals of Natural History.' Any general observations on the Fungi of Ceylon hid better be reserved till we have had the whole collec-* 'Trratology,' 1' . 395 (Meiophglly of the Corolla).