DECEMBER. 31 



floating about in their neighbourhood. I have noticed 

 that while the upper flowers on a cluster really the 

 lower ones, however, as the racemes hang down nearly 

 always have five styles, those nearer the base of the 

 cluster have seven, eight, or ten. I don't know whether 

 this is a common fact. 



After the styles have shrivelled, the anthers mature, 

 their stalks slightly elongating. As they then hang 

 loose to the wind, the slightest breath of air stirs their 

 pendent clusters, and scatters out the dry dusty pollen 

 in little clouds. This is a curious device to prevent self- 

 find bring about cross-fertilisation ; and, as is the case 

 in all such wind-fertilised flowers, the number of pollen 

 grains which go to waste and fail to reach a stigma 

 must be enormous. After fertilisation the petals begin 

 to grow, and become full of purple juice, eventually 

 forming the so-called berries, inside of which are the small 

 hard dry fruits which are commonly known as seeds. 



Tutu is well known to be one of the few poisonous 

 plants which occur in New Zealand. The poison is most 

 abundant in the seeds, but it is also found in the stems 

 and foliage. The drovers and early settlers of the colony 

 were very familiar with the effects of this plant on 

 cattle. Animals taken quietly on to tutu-covered ground 

 and allowed to feed there got into fine condition on it, 

 even when they ate it freely. But if a mob of cattle 

 which had been driven all day were brought to camp 

 on such ground, many of them used to go mad during 

 the night, and the drivers had a bad time of it, often 

 losing several of their beasts. 



III. 



Many of the seaside plants are in flower now. A 

 typical and very common one, which grows right down 

 on the sand near the beach, is a very pretty creeping 

 Convolvulus (C. soldanelld), with bright green delicately- 

 veined kidney-shaped leaves and rose-red flowers, often 

 ornamented with purplish stripes. Like many littoral 



