:hap. vr 



ANIMALS 



121 



Calliste larvata, Du Bus.). These and many others were certain to be found 

 .-here the chmbing Marcgravia unibellata expanded its curious flowers (Fio-. 

 )i). The flowers of this lofty climber are disposed in a circle, hanging down- 

 vards, like an inverted candelabrum. From the centre of the circle of flowers 

 s suspended a number of pitcher-like vessels, which, when the flowers expand, 

 n February and March, are filled with a sweetish liquid. This liquid attracts 

 nsects, and the insects numerous insectivorous birds, including the species I 

 ave mentioned and manj' kinds of humming-birds. The flowers are so disposed, 

 .-ith tlic stamens hanging downwards, that the birds, to get at the pitchers, must 

 irush against them, and thus convey the pollen from one plant to another. A 

 ccond species of Marcgravia, that I found in the woods around Santo Domingo, 

 as the pitchers placed close to the pedicels of the flowers, so that the birds must 

 pproach them from 

 bove; and in this 

 pecies the flowers 

 re turned upwards, 

 nd the pollen is 

 rushed off by the 

 reasts of the birds.' 



he ornithophily of a 

 Decies of Erythrina 



as also establislicd 

 yBelt: . . . 'Many 

 owers,liketheMarc- 



■avia, are specially 

 iaptcd to secure the 



d of small birds, par- 



ularly humming- 



rds, for this pur- 



ise. Amongst these, 



e " palosabre," a 



lecies of Erythrina, 



small tree, bearing 



d flowers, that Fig 



ew in this valley, 



ar the brook, 



ten drew my attention. The tree blooms in February, and is at the 



ne leafless, so that the large red flowers are seen from a great distance. 



ich flower consists of a single long, rather fleshy petal, doubled over, flattened, 



d closed, excepting a small opening on one edge, where the stamens protrude. 



ily minute insects can find access to the flower, which secretes at the base a 



'ney-like fluid. Two long-billed humming-birds frequent it; one (Heliomaster 



llidiceps, Gould), which I have already mentioned, is rather rare; the other 



haethornis longirostris, De Latt.) might be seen at any time when the tree was 



bloom, by watching near it for a few minutes.' 



Since Belt's classical description and the unfortunately very short 



6i. Marcgravia unibellata. Inflorescence adapted for pollination 

 by humminij-birds. Natur.il size. After Flora Brasiliensis. 



