INTRODUCTION 



TO 



Dr. CUNNINGHAM'S MEMOIR 



♦ 



It has been assumed in the following paper that the nature and arrangement of 





flowers in the receptacles of dioecious species of figs are familiar to the reader ; but in case 

 they may not be so, it may be well to give a brief description of them. The receptac 

 consist of hollow, flask-shaped or spheroidal bodies, the cavities of which are bounded by 





solid -walls save at their apparent apices, where these are replaced by masses of the nppreeeed 

 and interlocking bracts of the so-called ostioles. In F. Boxbtrgkii and many < her specie* 

 the arrangement of these bracts is such as practically to convert the interior of the receptacle 

 into a closed cavity. In this species two distinct kinds of recept; les arc to be me w h, 

 each kind being confined to particular trees. In one of these two forms of fl wcrs are 

 present, viz. la) true male flowers situated in the neighbourhood of the osti ind ipnble 



of producing pollen, and (J) modified female or gall-flowers, which never produce seed, but 



within the ovaries of which in very many cases the ova of certain q «ien of mse U are 

 deposited and undergo evolution. In the second kind of receptacles no male flower, are 

 present, and the floral surface of the cavity is occupied by true female flowers winch never 

 Ltain the ova or embryos of insects, but which are capable of producing fertile seed, 



contain me uva ui cuiwijv^ ~- — --- , - 



The perfect evolution of both male and true female flowers m f*u fo hurgh and 



1 ne perieci evuiuwuu fio-.insects to interior of the 



probably in other species also, is dependent on the access ot tne n msecw 



prooaDiy in ot v „' fail to occur both forms of flowers abort w,thout he 



receptacular cavity. Should access mu 



formation of pollen 



the one case or seeds in the other, and the ac ess 



rormation 01 ponen-giaiu, „ - — " f ^ normal male and fema , e fl ow B 



insects is thus as necessary for the perfect evolution 01 



as it is for that of the modified female or gall-flowers with their contained ova 



embryos. 



