680 The American Naturalist. [August, 
this and other dead specimens was derived much of the pres- 
ent knowledge. A cursory examination with the naked eye 
of the head does not reveal with clear distinctness the import- 
ant facts brought out by the use of the microscope, conse- 
quently this instrument was brought into use in furthering 
research. Pollen is carried in several ways by this bird. On 
the lower mandible just in front of the angle of the mouth, 
overshadowed by the nasal scale when the bill is closed, a 
faint yellowish line marks the deposit of pollen grains resting. 
in a small groove clustered together, see figure 5 at point b. 
Here were found various kinds, but one small form rather 
irregularly round in outline predominated. Pollen-grains work 
their way free to the summit or vanes of the feathers about 
where they were seen scattered, and as will be described further 
on, caught up by the barbs of the feathers, along the sides of 
the chin and lores ready to be deposited when a more suitable 
surface presents. Under the lower bill, see enlarged view, fig- 
ure 4, and also 5a, the deep median groove, the point of meet- 
ing of the rami, which traverses along for nearly one-half its 
length, acts as a second repository. This pollen repository 
groove becomes divided backwards on either side for a short 
distance. Pollen lodges in larger quantities here and can be 
detected deep within the median portion of the groove. It is 
interesting to note that pollen found deep in the recess of this 
part bore evidence of greater age and possibly from foreign 
plants unknown tome. ‘This fact opens up a line of investi- 
gation which promises interesting results in the future. With 
a needle the mass of grains which cluster together can be re- 
moved and separated with care. A small mass, only a frac- 
tional part of what still remained, showed with a focus of a} 
inch objective hundreds of pollen-grains. The long shaft of 
the bill also had upon its surface a few scattered ones. The 
most noteworthy phase of this subject remains yet to be 
recorded when the feathers are analyzed in greater detail, for 
here is to be found the real means of scattering the pollen or 
pollination. The chief repositories having been just described 
as occurring below the angle of the mouth and in the median 
