1882.] 
421 
[Trelease. 
the storing of the pollen upon the stigmatic disk after anthesis. 
As lie several times mentions the failure of hud fertilization 
because of dichogamy, he appears to have believed that crossing is 
usually effected by the elastic expansion of the flowers and the 
supposed scattering of pollen that accompanies it, insects aiding 
only in abnormal cases. 
Probably the most curious conjecture ever made with respect 
to the pollination of flowers is that emitted by Iverner concerning 
members of this order. After calling attention to the exposure 
of the pollen of Proteaceae with no protection against inclement 
weather, and explaining it by the fact that these plants bloom at 
a season where rains are unknown in Australia, he gives an 
account of the structure and supposed process of pollination in 
Dryandra, which is so curious that I give a loose translation of it. 
He says (1, 45-6, note) “ I cannot avoid expressing here the con- 
viction that in this remarkable genus the transfer of pollen is 
effected by the Kangaroos that live in the scrub. The flowers are 
arranged like the ray florets of Compositae, e. g. Carlina acaulis, 
forming the rim to an erect cup-shaped cavity of 3-4 cm. diameter. 
The bottom of this cup is chaffy, and regularly contains drops of 
nectar which is derived from the surrounding flowers, and resem- 
bles rich souring cream in its odor. About this cup the rigid 
styles stand, somewhat incurved, laden with pollen at the tip. 
This arrangement does not appear adapted to insects. A Kanga- 
roo, however, approximating the average Dryandra bushes in 
height, while inserting his muzzle into the cups and licking at the 
nectar, would surely remove the pollen from the styles and carry 
some of it to other flower clusters; and there is no doubt that in 
the rainless season, when Dryandra blooms, every drop of fluid is 
greedily sought out by these animals.” This conclusion is men- 
tioned by Delpino (2, 288), but not accepted, the flowers of Bank- 
sia and Dryandra being, according to him, fertilized by the 
nectar-eating birds of Australia. In fact there seems little reason 
for not considering their inflorescence well adapted to the brush- 
tongued paroquets, or Trichoglossidae, which, thrusting their 
heads into an open flower or inflorescence of this sort, are said to 
lap out its nectar with their tongues, in doing which they must 
necessarily transfer pollen from plant to plant. Kerner’s unfor- 
