320 



DARWINISM 



CHAP. 



Chile, where humming-birds are especially plentiful, we find 

 great numbers of red tubular flowers, often of large size and 

 apparently adapted to these little creatures. Such are the 

 beautiful Lapageria and Philesia, the grand Pitcairneas, and 

 the genera Fuchsia, Mitraria, Embothrium, Escallonia, Desfon- 

 tainea, Eccremocarpus, and many Gesneracefe. Among the 

 most extraordinary modifications of flower structure adapted 



Fig. 31. — Humming-bird fertilising llarcgravia nepenthoides. 



to bird fertilisation are the species of Marcgravia, in which the 

 pedicels and bracts of the terminal portion of a pendent bunch 

 of flowers have been modified into pitchers which secrete 

 nectar and attract insects, Avhile birds feeding on the nectar, 

 or insects, have the pollen of the overhanging flowers dusted 

 on their backs, and, carrying it to other flower.s, thus cross- 

 fertilise them (see Illustration). 



In Australia and New Zealand the fine " glory peas " 

 (Clianthus), the Sophora, Loranthus, many Epacridea^ and 

 Myrtaceje, and the large flowers of the New Zealand flax 



