NATURALIST IN BRAZIL 



create galls on the leaves and shoots, in which their eggs develop 



into larvae in safety, provided with an abundant supply of food, 



finally developing into wasps. The little Fig-wasp perforates one of 



the tiny ovaries with her ovipositor, and lays her egg in it. From 



this egg emerges the white legless grub or larva, and after gradually 



devouring the whole contents, it pupates in the 



ovary. The first to emerge from the pupae are the 



males, which, being wingless, look like small ants. 



They seek the winged females, which await them 



inside their galls, and fertilize them. Now the 



females too emerge, creep up to the edge of the 



urn, dust themselves over with the pollen of the 



stamens, crawl through the opening to the light 



of day, and wander off to another fig, which is 



younger, so that its ovaries are still intact. Here 



they at once lay their eggs, perforating the ovaries, 



and in doing so rub the pollen all over the stigmas. 



■c, X n ■ The ovaries in which the eggs are laid do not 



Fig. 15. — A fig, in .... 



section, showing develop, but the plant is indemnified, since enough 



the interior of ovaries are left which are not perforated, but are 



the urn with the fgrtifized with pollen, so that they are able to 



fat oL of develop into fruits. The fig-trees therefore develop 



which is flying their fruits under conditions of special security, for 



over It, while jjj ^-}^g ^^n these are protected from the rain as 



. , , ' ,, surely as in a room. For that matter, the Mediter- 

 right, another ^ _ ' 



(enlarged) is ranean fig produces two kinds of ovaries: some 



emerging from with long pistils, which are intended for fertiliza- 



its gall. On the ^^ ^^^ some with short pistils, which are utihzed 

 leit IS a single 1 • r- n 



flower with ^'^^ the production of galls ; annexes, as it were, 



threadlike pis- placed at the disposal of their guests. So far, nearly 



til. {Enlarged, f^f-^y species of Gall-wasp have been discovered 

 after Kerner Han- ... , ^ • • • y ^ n • c ^ 



^^^x living in symbiosis with the boo species 01 ng- 



tree. 

 Still more wonderful, perhaps, is the behaviour of the Palm-lilies 

 or Yuccas. These plants belong to the Liliaceae, and are relatives 

 of the Dragon-trees of the Old World. The inflorescence of the 

 Palm-lily rises from a thick bush of sharp-pointed leaves ; it consists 

 of hundreds of handsome white bell-flowers, hanging like the bells 

 of a glockenspiel. As the white or faint rose-pink of the flowers indi- 

 cates, they are nocturnal blooms, and in the evening they burst 

 open and shine through the dusk. If one examines them closely one 

 244 



