THE MISTLETOE FAMILY 141 



white-thorn, pink-thorn, peach, and laburnum, at Ohinitahi 

 (Lyttelton). At Akaroa it grows abundantly, and flourishes 

 upon the false-acacia (Robiuia). The great variety of its 

 habitats probably shows that the plant is not very dependent 

 on its hosts for nourishment. Indeed, its mass of green, 

 glabrous, glossy leaves look as if they could easily sustain it. 

 Obviously, when growing on the Bohinia, it must, like the 

 English Mistletoe, sustain itself during the winter, as the false 

 acacia is deciduous. 



The means by which the New Zealand species obtain their 

 nourishment, and their methods of germination, have not been 

 closely observed. Mr. Potts (" Out in the Open," p. 136) has 

 however, described with some detail the early stages in the 

 growth of L. micrantlius. The berries of all loranths are 

 extremely attractive to birds. In the case of L. micranthus, 

 as they ripen they become whitish, or slightly roseate, and 

 finally assume a rich golden-yellow hue. As soon as they are 

 ripe they are greedily eaten. Before the introduction of 

 foreign birds, they were probably eaten by the tui and the 

 bell-bird ; now it is the blackbird and thrush that feed upon 

 them. The seeds pass through the digestive canal of the 

 bird, and are glued by its slimy excrement to the branches of 

 trees. In some cases, doubtless, the viscid pulp of tire berries 

 themselves enables the seeds to adhere to the branches of the 

 tree, so that it is not absolutely necessary that they should be 

 eaten. " In the first stage towards development," says Mr. 

 Potts, " the adherent seed may be seen lying on the fostering 

 spray, quite firmly fixed, covered over with a strong coatmg 

 of transparent varnish ; the indication of the future growth, a 

 smooth green speck at the large end of the seed." For some 

 time no feeding stems are put forth. Long branches some- 

 what resembhng rhizomes of a polypodium are then produced, 

 and follow the course of the branch of the host, sometimes 

 even descending the trunk of the main tree. Where these 

 stems cross each other they inosculate. At different points 



