Chap. VI] 



ANIMALS 



^5 



thus rubbing first the stigma and then the stamens. The beautiful 

 colours of the flower fully correspond to those of its pollinator, Nectarinia 

 Afra. 



In New Zealand also pollination by birds has been observed, especially 

 by Thomson, in Clianthus puniceus, Sophora tomentosa, Metrosideros 

 lucida, Fuchsia ex- 

 corticata, Loranthus 

 Colensoi, Dracophyl- 

 1 u m longifolium. 

 Phormium tenax. 

 These flowers are in 

 part red -coloured. 



Adaptations to 

 other families of birds 

 has been proved in 

 the case of one plant 

 only, namely Feijoa 

 Schenckiana(Fig. 64), 

 an arborescent myr- 

 taceous plant, which 

 Fritz Muller discover- 

 ed in the table-land of 

 Santa Catharina and 

 planted in his garden 

 at Blumenau, where I 

 had an opportunity of 

 seeing it in blossom. 

 The structure of the 

 flower has been ex- 

 cellently described by 

 Fritz Muller. Highly 

 peculiar are the four 

 snow-white petals, 

 which are rolled in- 

 wards so that only a 

 narrow slit remains 

 visible when looking 

 from above or some- 

 what from the side. 

 These petals are fleshy, juicy, and sweet to the taste. As with most 

 ornithophilous flowers, the stamens also are of a beautiful red colour, 

 numerous, like a stiff brush, and exceeded in length by the style. The 

 only pollinator that has been as yet recognized with any certainty 



Fig. 63. Strelitzia reginae. A South African sun-bird flower. 

 t sepals, / petals, g style and stigma, si stamens. Two-thirds of 

 natural size. 



