THE PLANT AND ITS HELPERS 81 



a mass of hairs pointing downwards. The ovary- 

 bearing blossoms mature first, and at that time 

 give out rather an unpleasant odour which is 

 peculiarly attractive to flies. The insects arrive 

 in numbers, many of them well dusted with pollen 

 from other Arums which have been visited, and 

 find it an easy matter to go down through the 

 palisade of hairs. After visiting the female 

 flowers, each of which produces a drop of honey, 

 the little visitors do not find it such a simple 

 business to escape upwards through the array of 

 hairs. Indeed, it is not until the stigmas have 

 withered, and the anthers have come to per- 

 fection, dusting the flies with pollen, that the 

 fringe of bristles dries up and allows the flies to 

 go about their business once more. 



It is known that humming birds play a con- 

 siderable part in the fertilisation of many tropical 

 American plants. By their peculiar habit of 

 flight, these little birds are well adapted for 

 hovering over blossoms and sipping the nectar 

 from the blooms with their long beaks. A great 

 variety of flowers appear to be visited by these 

 tiny creatures, although they seem especially 

 to favour the blossoms of the Fuchsia and 

 Lapageria, as well as some of the Passion 

 Flowers. 



