658 Biologie. 



dien auch bei grosser Trockenheit die Möglichkeit einer ausgiebigen 

 Assimilation, während diese bei den Fiederblättern sehr abnimmt, 

 sobald sich letztere infolge starker Transpiration schliessen Befin- 

 det sich doch das Assimilationsgewebe bei den Fiederblättern 

 namentlich auf den Oberseiten der ßlättchen, welche sich beim 

 Schliessen des Blattes aneinanderliegen und derart dem Lichte ent- 

 zogen werden. Matouschek (Wien). 



Marloth, R., Note on the pollination of Encephalartos Alten- 

 steinii. (Kaffir Bread Tree). (Ann. Meet. r. Soc, S. Africa. p. 3. 

 Sept. 17th 1913.) 



The insect on which the transport of the pollen from the male 

 cone to the female cone of Encephalartos Altetisteinii dind E.villosiis 

 depends is not a Phloeophagus as stated in a paper recently published 

 in the Transactions of the Royal Society, S. A., but AiitUarrhinus 

 Zamiae that means the same insect which lives in the seeds of these 

 plants until the cones disintegrate and enable the mature insect to 

 escape from them. The female insect pollinates the ovules while 

 moving about between them for the purpose of depositing its eggs. 

 Although according to Dr. Ratiray's observations, some or most, 

 er even sometimes all the seeds of a cone are thus destroyed by 

 the grubs of the insect, the Visits of the insect are nevertheless 

 essential to the plant, for without them no seeds would be formed 

 at all. The case is quite parallel to that of the Y ncca. moih {Proiiiiba) , 

 which while depositing its eggs into the pistil of the Yucca polli- 

 nates the flower. 



There are only three species of Atitliaryhinus known, and the 

 genus is as far as observed entirely confined to eastern Cape 

 Colony, all three come from the seeds ot our species of Encepha- 

 lartos. It appears therefore that this tribe of beetles is as ancient 

 as the South African Cycadaceae. Author's abstract. 



Rattray, G., Notes on the pollination of some South Afri- 

 can Cycads. (Trans. Roy. Soc. South Africa. III. p. 259-270. 

 1913.) 



Three species of Cycads are cousidered in the present paper. 

 The following are the more important of the results obtained from 

 a highly interesting series of observations made on plants in the 

 field and under cultivation. 



The male cone in Encephalartos Altensteinii Lehm, emits a per- 

 ceptible odour and is visited by weevils of the genus Phloeophagos 

 which afterwards, while pollen is still adhering to their bodies, 

 Visit the ovulate cones. The whole life history of the insect is closely 

 related tho that of the Cycad. It appears that, while nothing in the 

 structure or position of the cones renders anemophily impossible, 

 entomophily commonly occurs. 



In E. villosns Lehm, the male cone emits a powerful odour and 

 is of conspicuous colour. Curculionid beetles are attracted to the 

 male cones and afterwards visit the female cones where they deposit 

 their eggs. The descending imbrication of the ovulate cone makes 

 the admission of wind borne pollen almost impossible and the author 

 considers that E. villosns is typically entomophilous. 



Stangeria Katzeri, on the other band, is found to be adapted 

 definitel}^ to wind pollination. Agnes Arber (Cambridge). 



