AUGUST. 145 



to twelve times as long as the corollas. They therefore 

 expose a large surface to the air so as to catch any pollen 

 grains which may be floating about. Many persons seem 

 to think that Coprosmas and similar plants which have 

 inconspicuous flowers never blossom at all. This is not 

 only want of observation, but something worse, which 

 shall not be specified here ; but it surprises me how 

 commonly such an absurd idea is held. 



Another plant which flowers thus early in the season is 

 the large-leaved dark green Patiaje, sometimes called the 

 New Zealand gum tree. The dull green flowers are pro- 

 duced in large compound umbels, and this makes them 

 somewhat conspicuous. They are dioecious, but are cer- 

 tainly not fertilised by the wind, for they only produce 

 a small quantity of pollen, which is not dry and dusty, and 

 the stigmas are rather small. They are fragrant, and 

 produce a considerable quantity of nectar. Later in the 

 season those flowers, which are then open, are visited by 

 several species of insects, especially by a large brown 

 hairy fly ; but at this early season the only visitor I have 

 noticed is the bell-bird. The flat structure of the flower 

 does not seem adapted to fertilisation by these birds, but 

 they no doubt manage to lick up the nectar from the flat 

 discs of the blossoms by their brush-like tongues, for they 

 are often to be seen among the foliage. 



A few other early flowers are to be found this month, 

 such as the larger-flowered manuka, the bush lawyer 

 (Hiilt us austrctlis), and some others which I can only 

 specify by their technical names ; but most of them bloom 

 more freely next month. 



I will conclude this notice by reference to a very 

 curious fungus which I have only found in August, and 

 which occurs about Dunedin, but whether indigenous or 

 introduced I cannot say. From its very peculiar shape it 

 has received the name of Jew's Ear (Hirneola auricula-? 

 Judce). It is of gelatinous consistence, and is folded in 

 a curious way. In a new country like this one of the 

 missing features of interest in plants and many other 

 things is that they have no history. But in Europe 

 K 



