10 
XATURE XOTES 
to the bottom of the stream, quite away from the stigma-bearing 
flowers. Each of these is enclosed in a semi-transparent spathe, 
and as soon as the pollen is ripe the flowers detach themselves, 
and, ascending through the water, appear like seed pearls. As 
soon as they are floating among the female flowers, the little 
bladders burst open and the pollen contained in the anthers is 
placed in exactly the right position to fertilise the female flowers. 
When this is effected the spiral stalk again assumes its closely 
spiral form, and the impregnated ovary is brought down into 
the mud at the bottom of the stream in order to ripen the seed. 
A similar movement takes place in the stalk of the common 
white Water-lily. The flowers of this float on the surface of the 
pond among the foliage, and when the stigmas have been pollin- 
ated by the visits of various Libellulidae and other insects, the 
vase like ovary is drawn down to the bottom of the water, and 
in about a month or six weeks bursts, and the seeds, which are 
all contained in a bladder-like vesicle containing air, rise to the 
surface and are distributed by the action of currents and the 
wind. The filmy air-vesicles soon decay, and the seeds sink to 
the bottom and are sown in the soft mud and ooze. 
The glorious Victoi-ia regia has the same method of perfecting 
its seed, but, unlike our native w’ater- lilies, is an annual, so the 
seeds remain dormant till the next summer, then producing their 
gigantic leaves. These are furnished with a raised gunwale, 
which so assists their floating power that one has been known 
to support a child seated in a rush chair on its punt-like deck. 
{To he continued.) 
A DUEL TO THE DEATH. 
CURIOUS instance of ferocity in birds was witnessed 
by a friend and self when returning from a day's 
tramp in the bush recently. Late in the afternoon 
we were proceeding along a timbered ridge near the 
South Esk River, when our ears were assailed by the shrieking 
notes of a bird, which at first we took to be those of a garrulous 
Honey-eater, but louder and more continuous than usual. As 
the noise went on we scanned the horizontal limb of a gum-tree 
under which w'e w’ere passing, and from which apparently the 
notes proceeded, but could see nothing. After listening a minute 
or two the sound seemed to come from near the foot of the 
tree, and my companion went over to a clump of fern which 
grew against the butt, and, after glancing down, called to me. I 
joined him, and this is what we saw : Two Grey Butcher-birds 
on the ground amid the bracken, locked in deadly conflict, and 
quite unable to rise ; one was stretched on his back with the 
beak partly open, and was calling loudly for mercy ; the other 
was lying upon him with the hooked point of the long, cruel 
