260 Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
late as the first week of February of the following year. In the great 
majority, however, the cones are visible in the last week of December. 
Coning is heralded by a flattening out of the apex of the trunk and the 
gradual depression of the leaves from a semi-erect to a horizontal position, 
so that the full-grown cones come to occupy a comparatively conspicuous 
position — a point which may be regarded as equally favouring anemophily 
by exposing the cones to the full benefit of the wind, or entomophily, in 
the same manner as the entomophilous angiosperm does not conceal its 
attractive blossom among its leaves. 
Staminate cones are somewhat more abundant than ovulate ones ; not 
so much, however, because the number of male plants is greater than that 
of the female as because more of the former are produced on an individual 
stem. Female cones are usually borne in ones, twos, or threes, rarely 
more, while the males are produced in threes, fours, or fives, or even 
sevens, rarely ones or twos. There is also some evidence that male plants 
cone more frequently than females, although the number of specimens 
under observation would require to be sufiiciently great to eliminate 
individual eccentricities before one could be certain. 
The male cones mature and the microsporangia begin to dehisce about 
the second week of April on an average, but pollen continues to be shed 
for two weeks or longer. At this date the male cone is about 20 inches 
high, inclusive of the short peduncle. The sporophylls are widely 
separated, so that there is free play for the wind or the entrance of 
insect visitors. When ripe the cone is of a pale brown colour, and is a 
conspicuous object in contrast with the dull green of the leaves — a contrast 
which is intensified as the freshly shed pollen dusts all parts with a 
coating of white. A faint but distinct odour is emitted which is not 
unpleasant, yet with one exception I have observed few insect visitors 
until decomposition has begun. The single exception is formed by a species 
of curculionid beetles, which have been referred to the genus Phlseophagus. 
The most abundant species has a much-depressed body of dark shining 
brown colour, and the female is furnished with a long rostrum. In 
April, 1908, a single male cone, one of three which I collected and 
brought home wrapped in paper, yielded 437 individuals, and several 
escaped during the removal of the cone. Since that date I have 
again and again found these weevils in great abundance on the cones 
at the time the pollen is ripe. Their bodies are inevitably buried in 
pollen, and masses adhere to the base of the rostrum and to the legs. 
In the specimens which I brought home in 1908 I found that the 
pollen was still adhering to their bodies three days after they were 
removed from the cone, although during that time they had had the 
free run of the room. Although I had known these weevils for some 
years previously, and knew that they possessed functional wings, I had 
