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136
My Studio Neighbors
·
W. Hamilton Gibson
119
Here
we
see
the
prophecy
of
the
existence
of
an
unknown
moth,
founded
on
the
form
of
a
blossom.
At
that
time
the
moth
had
not
been
actually
seen
at
work
on
the
orchid,
but
who
shall
question
for
a
moment
that
had
the
flower
been
visited
in
its
twilight
or
moonlight
haunt
the
murmur
of
humming
wings
about
the
blossom's
throat
would
have
attested
the
presence
of
the
flower's
affinity,
for
without
the
kiss
of
this
identical
moth
the
Angraecum
must
become
extinct.
No
other
moth
can
fulfil
the
conditions
necessary
to
its
perpetuation.
The
floral
adaptation
is
such
that
the
moth
must
force
its
large
head
far
into
the
opening
of
the
blossom
in
order
to
reach
the
sweets
in
the
long
nectary.
In
so
doing
the
pollen
becomes
attached
to
the
base
of
the
tongue,
and
is
withdrawn
as
the
insect
leaves
the
flower,
and
is
thrust
against
the
stigma
in
the
next
blossom
visited.
This
was
clearly
demonstrated
by
Darwin
in
specimens
sent
to
him,
by
means
of
a
probe
of
the
presumable
length
and
diameter
of
the
moth's
tongue.
Shorter-tongued
moths
would
fail
to
remove
the
pollen,
and
also
to
reach
the
nectar,
and
would
thus
soon
learn
to
realize
that
they
were
not
welcome.
The
Angraecum
also
affords
in
this
long
pendent
nectary
a
most
lucid
illustration
of
the
present
workings
of
natural
selection.
The
normal
length
of
that
nectary
should
be
about
eleven
inches,
but
in
fact
this
length
varies
considerably
in
the
flowers
of
different
plants,
this
tendency
to
variation
in
all
organic
life
being
an
essential
and
amply
demonstrated
postulate
of
the
entire
theory
of
natural
selection.
Let
us
suppose
a
flower
whose
nectary
chances
to
be
only
six
inches
in
length.
The
moth
visits
this
flower,
but
the
tip
of
its
tongue
reaches
the
nectar
long
before
it
can
bring
its
head
into
the
opening
of
the
tube.
This
being
a
vital
condition,
the
moth
fails
to
withdraw
the
pollen;
and
inasmuch
as
the
pollen
is
usually
deposited
close
to
the
head
of
the
moth,
this
flower
would
receive
no
pollen
upon
its
stigma.
This
particular
blossom
would
thus
be
both
barren
and
sterile.
None
of
its
pollen
would
be
carried
to
other
stigmas,
nor
would
it
set
a
seed
to
perpetuate
by
inheritance
its
shorter
nectary.
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