

12 MB. H. N. BTDLEY ON THE 



even on the highest parts of the inaccessible portion of the Peak, 



Ismaos 



cessible 

 There 



abundant 



lemic dove, Zenaida Noronha, which is exceedingly 

 and flies from island to island. The crops of the 

 specimens shot we frequently found full of the Cayaponia fruits. 



When one sees the number of endemic species with edible 

 fruit, one is tempted to wonder if it were possible that they were 

 all introduced by this single species of Dove, or whether other 

 frugivorous birds may not at times have wandered to the shores. 



One is too apt to imagine that only gaily coloured berries are 

 attractive to birds, and we were thus puzzled to account for the 

 Sapiurn occurring so widely over all the isles and in very 

 inaccessible spots high upon the rocks ; but we were informed 

 by our guide that the small birds eat the seeds greedily and 

 pass them uninjured, thus scattering them about the island. 

 As the seeds are so poisonous that they are said to blister the 

 skin of any horse or cow on which they fall, it is surprising to 

 hear that the birds are fond of them. 









ductive. 



The number of insects belonging to the orders which are 

 well known as plant-fertilizers is surprisingly limited. A few 



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The Relations of the Flora to the Insect Fauna. 



It will be noticed that there are in the Flora a considerable 

 number of plants which require the aid of insects in fertilization. 

 The C ucurbitacesB, the Papaw, ScTirnidelia, Comlretum, Termina- 

 liopsis, are all dioecious, and not being anemophilous, must be 

 fertilized by insects. Oxalis Noronhce also has dimorphic flowers, 

 implying the necessity of insect-fertilization. Many plants have 

 showy coloured flowers, the commonest colour being yellow. 

 Datura Stramonium, Cereus insularis, and Ipomoea Tula are 

 nocturnal plants with white flowers, very sweetly scented in the 

 first two cases at least. Several species, such as JJrena lobata, 

 Oxalis Noronhce ) and the cultivated Cucurbitaceae, open their 

 flowers in the early morning, closing them when the sun gets j 



hot, about 10 o'clock ; Palicourea and Bumelia seem to be really 

 diurnal, and are strongly scented during the daytime. All the » 

 plants above mentioned fruited very extensively on the islands, 

 and the Leguminosce and Cucurbitace© were especially pro- 



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