195 

 THE FERTILISATION OF CACAO. 



The number of Cacao pods formed on a tree is very much out of 

 proportion to the number of fiowers produced. In Dominica, West 

 Indies, there is formed but one pod to every two hundred flowers. 

 To ascertain why this is so, Mr. G. A. Jones has had plants under 

 observation in that island, but without reaching a final conclusion. 

 This, however, was ascertained that if the common red ants which 

 tend green fly about the flowtrs are kept away, no pollination at all 

 results. The criticism which comes to the mind on reading the 

 remarks of this observer, is that the pollination only takes on 

 one flower out of every two hundred; and that positive evidence 

 is required to prove that the red ants have anything to do with the 

 fertility of the flowers. 



CAPRIFICATION IN MALAYA. 



A paper in the Philippine Journal of Science, viii., section D., 

 No. 2, (IQI31 p. 63, by Mr. C. F. Baker, on the fertilisation of the 

 PhiVipp'mi: t\g~Ficus fio fa, Merrill, is of great interest. As is usual in fig- 

 trees there are produced on certain sterile irees, figs holding gall-flowers 

 associated with male flowers, wherein the fertilising fig-insects breed; 

 and there are produced fertile figs on other trees, to which the 

 fertilising insects bring the pollen from the sterile trees. The 

 multiplication of the insects, of which on Ficus nota there are no less 

 than seven species, goes on all through the year; one insect is a 

 Blastophaga, similar to that which fertilises the Smyrna fig. " If a 

 large mature caprifig (gall-fig) be opened, the walls of the interior 

 are found to be thickly massed with the densely packed brown galls, 



produced from the modified ovaries of the infertile flowers " 



" In due time from certain of the galls appear numl)Lrs of queer 

 clumsy wingL-ss yellow insects, the males of the Biasiophaj£a. 

 Inmiediately after they emerge they turn their attention to gnawing 

 small holes in the still unopened galls; this— their quest for the 

 female — seems completely and continuously to occupy their 

 attention. Many times holes are made, then immediately 

 deserted," if the quest has been fruitless. These small holes 

 are made at any accessible point on the surface of the gall. 

 In case the gall happens to contain a female Blastophaga, 

 the tip of the male's abdomen which is closely recurved under the 

 body and projects forward between the fv>re legs and ju>t Jjeneath the 

 mouth, is introduced into the gall without any change in general 

 attitude of the body of the male, and copulation with the imprisoned 



female takes place Copulation accomplished, the males 



make no attempt whatever to enlarge the minute hole made for this 

 purpose, " but leave the female to gnaw her own way out, which she 



