:hai'. vr 



ANIMALS 



12.'-, 



hus rubbing first the stigma and then the stamens. The beautiful 

 :olours of llie flower fully correspond to those of its pollinator, Ncctarinia 

 \fra. 



In New Zealand also pollination by birds has been observed, especially 

 )y Thomson, in Clianthus puniceus, Sophora tomcntosa, Metrosideros 

 ucida, Fuchsia ex- 

 orticata, Loranthus 

 Tolensoi, Dracophyl- 

 u ni 1 o n g i f o 1 i u m , 

 'hormium tenax. 

 'hese flowers are in 

 art red-coloured. 



Adaptations to 

 ther families of birds 

 as been proved in 

 he case of one plant 

 nly, namely Feijoa 

 ■.chenckiana(Fig. 64), 

 n arborescent mjT- 

 jceous plant, which 

 ritz Miiller discover- 

 d in the table-land of 

 anta Catharina and 

 lanted in his garden 

 t Blumenau, where I 

 ad an opportunity of 

 'eing it in blossom, 

 he structure of the 

 ower has been ex- 

 ;llently described by 

 ritz Miiller. Highly 

 sculiar are the four 

 low -white petals, 

 hich are rolled in- 

 ards so that only a 

 irrow slit remains 

 sible when looking 

 cm above or some- 

 hat from the side, 

 hese petals are fleshy, juicy, and sweet to the taste. As with most 



nithophilous flowers, the stamens also are of a beautiful red colour, 

 imerous, like a stiff brush, and exceeded in length by the style. The 

 ily pollinator that has been as yet recognized with any certainty 



Fig. 63. Strelilzia reginae. A Soiuli .African sun-bird flower. 

 / sepals, / petals, «■ style and stigma, si stamens. Two-thirds of 

 natural size. 



