348 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 



Similar observations have not yet been made on a female cone in 

 .a state of nature. Mr. Smale saw the first sign of the cone referred 

 to above on January 23, 1906 ; when I examined it on May 3rd 

 it was 15 in. out of the ground (i.e. cone and peduncle) and the 

 sporophylls were still closely shut. 



Miss Pegler further observed with regard to the same male cone 

 that on — 



March 17th the cone emitted a pleasant odour resembling that of 



fresh honey ; 

 May 3rd the odour had become unpleasant ; several weevils were 



seen on the pollen-sacs but could not be captured ; 

 May 5th the odour was " horrible," penetrating and persistent. 



The weevils seen on May 3rd were no longer present, but in 



their place were many of a smaller kind. 



s 



Miss Pegler was able to capture several of the smaller weevils seen 

 on May 5th. Mr. Peringuey has kindly identified these for me as 

 Phlceophaqus hispidus, Schh. This, and another species of the same 

 genus, P. ebeninus, Schh., were among the numerous beetles which 

 Ecklon and Zeyher collected "in Zamia Caffrse " (Schoenherr, 

 1,049, 1,051). All the specimens of P. hispidus obtained from this 

 -cone carried pollen on the hispid parts of the body, which would 

 naturally follow from the condition of the sporophylls on the date of 

 their capture. In addition there was a compact mass of pollen on 

 the tip of the rostrum of every specimen examined (Plate VIII. , 

 fig. 1). The mass was securely attached, possibly by mucilage 

 exuded from the tissues of the cone itself with which, indeed, other 

 parts of the insect were besmeared. Mr. Peringuey informs me 

 that the members of this genus usually feed upon the bark of trees, 

 and all are winged. P. hispidus has at present only been found on 

 Cycads. Too much stress must not be laid upon these few facts, 

 but it may be admitted that they are sufficient to establish a pro- 

 bability that the weevil is concerned in pollination, and make it very 

 desirable that further information regarding its habits and life-history 

 should be obtained. With reference to this matter, it may be noted 

 that the habitat of E. villosus and the position of its cones must, 

 in most cases, render wind-pollination impossible, for the bush is 

 usually so dense that the air a few feet above the ground can rarely 

 move rapidly enough to enable it to carry even so light a substance 

 as pollen. The same consideration applies, but in a somewhat less 

 degree, to forest specimens of E. Altensteinii. 



