OF FICUS ROXBURGHII. 



the flowers, and specially of the male flowers, and, due to the normally dc 



the ostiolar aspect of the cavity, they are often deposited in lar^nan ^ ZTm I 



pendent position o 



ite in ■ iwr 



no so at 



to very deep coloration there. As the stamens, ho^ 



from within the closed hood of their inner perianth, only b<^ inning Z 



period at which absorption of the fluid occurs, they are, as a rule, mist in, 1 Z "of 



brilliant white colour. The fluid abounds in filariae, and also contains schizoim 



and fungal cells, and sometimes various kinds of infusoria 



nts 



Just before final maturative changes set in— before the unfolding f the statu 



, ,, . . . ' . ? ~~ w ' llIC "»^«»gr <* the .menu a 1 



the escape ot the insects from the ovaries are about to occur— the exeetam flow of sao to tl 



receptacles is arrested, and the fluid in the cavities is gradually absorbed and disappeai 

 With this the consistence of the receptacles alters, and in place of being j rf< tly tense am 

 hard, they yield somewhat on pressure. Their colour, too, changes from dark-men to 



ddish-yellow. The cavity is now once more empty, and its surfaces stained red 

 brown by the deposition of the particles and diffused colouring matter of the ah nhod flui-1 

 The colour varies in different parts from a very pale to almost black madder brown, tin den 

 of tint being determined by the greater or less dependence of the surface and 



•iiae 



quel 



liability to form a site of deposit. The deepest pigmentation, therefore, * a rule is aroun 



the male flower area, which now appears as a prominent eminence of crowded whit 

 filaments and anthers. 





D. — Characters of mature gall-receptacles to which insects have not gained acceii. 

 The following data show the measurements obtained from four specimens: — 



1. External diameter 2"0 



Diameter of area of ostiolar bracts and male flowers 0*690 



Breadth of zone of male flowers 0" 17 



Thickness of receptacular wall 

 Depth of stratum of gall-flowers 



0"28 

 010 



The internal surface of the receptacular wall was quite smooth. The interior of lh< 

 ty was of a pele umber tint over the area of the ostiolar bracts and 



flowers, and 



dark umber over the rest of the surface, due to the deep tint of the dry stigmata and t) 



2. External diameter 2 "'° ;J 



Diameter of area of ostiolar bracts in the cavity 0*58x0^47 



Breadth of zone of male flowers 



Breadth of peripheral furrow of gall-flowers around the male flowers on 



the ostiolar face of the cavity 



Thickness of receptacular wall 



Depth of stratum of gall -flowero 



0"-21 



0*-21 



0**32 



0*10 



The ostiolar bracts formed a projecting mass at the same level as the ^^mdmg mal 

 flowers. The internal surface of the receptacular wall was smooth. The male flower, w, re 



arranged in three or four rows. 



3. External diameter 



Diameter of area of ostiolar bracts in the cavity . . • 



Breadth of zone of male flowers 



Breadth of peripheral area of gall-flowers on ostiolar face 



Thickness of receptacular wall 



Depth of stratum of gall-flowers 



r-33 



0"-62 x 0"-5 

 0"19 



0*3 



0*3 

 (T09 



