i3 9 6. DISPERSAL OF SEEDS BY BIRDS. 197 



mistaken by birds and carried a small distance before being dropped. 

 This seems very doubtful. Ricinus seeds and those of Para rubber 

 (Hevea braziliensis), which resemble them on a large scale, are ejected 

 explosively from their capsules to a distance quite sufficient for their 

 dispersal, and falling, as they constantly do, among other herbage, 

 would certainly escape most insect-eating birds. 



Mimicry in another form plays, I believe, a considerable part in 

 ensuring the dispersal of such seeds as those of Adenantheva bicolor 

 and Abvus precatorius. In the former, a big tree, the pod splits and 

 allows the seed to hang out, as it does in Pithecolobium ; the seed 

 is half scarlet and half black, the effect at a little distance being 

 that of a black seed with a red aril, the red, as is usual in arillate 

 seeds, being at the base. A bird flying past the tree might readily 

 pick off the seeds, under the impression that they were provided with 

 an eatable aril, and would quickly swallow them. The seed is very 

 hard, and cannot supply any nourishment to most birds, who would 

 be unable to break it up or digest it. There is reason to believe that 

 birds do carry away the seed, but, after fruiting, a considerable 

 quantity is left beneath the tree. Abrus, which is a climber, may 

 sometimes get disseminated in a similar way ; but here, at least, it 

 usually frequents sea-shores, and the seeds are drifted about in the 

 sea, and may rather be classed as sea-borne. In Adenantheva pavonina 

 and most of the Ormosias, the seed is entirely red and shiny, certainly 

 suggestive of a soft, eatable aril, and I have little doubt, from the 

 position in which I have found plants, that birds have borne away 

 the seeds. 



In order to show what an important part birds play in dispersal 

 of seeds, I examined a number of trees in the botanic garden, such as 

 oil-palms (Elzis Gnineensis) and dates (Phcenix dactylifera), which, 

 owing to the retention of the bases of the leaves, form a nidus for the 

 growth of any seeds which have fallen therein. I give a list herewith 

 of plants found on these trees. 



On an oil-palm tree : — Rhodamnia trinervia, fruit a berry much 

 sought by bulbuls ; Ficus urophylla, figs orange, eaten by birds ; 

 F. Miquelii, figs dull red or green, eaten by fruit-bats. On another 

 oil-palm : — Clidemia hirta, berry black, much sought by birds ; Fagraa 

 fragrans, berry orange, much sought by birds ; Ficus aff. Benjamina, 

 fig black, much sought by birds ; and many ferns. On another : 

 Ficus sp., Oligemia hirta, Phyllanthus Niruri (several plants very high 

 up the stem). 



On a sago-palm (Sagus lavis) : — Clidemia hirta; Macaranga hypoleuca, 

 capsules eaten by pigeons and parrots ; Melastoma polyanthum, 

 eaten by birds ; Ficus alba, figs orange, eaten by birds ; F. Miquelii ; 

 Dacrydium cupressinum, seed with red peduncle, eaten by birds ; 

 Psychotria or Ixora, drupe probably red. 



On the stem of a date-palm (Phccnix dactylifera) : — Ficus urophylla ; 

 Phyllanthus urinaria; Davallia solida ; Nephrolepis; Psilotum complauatuiii 



