in South Africa . 267 
with pollen in younger flowers or touching the stigmatic lips 
in older ones. 
Melianthus comosus, Vahh 
This flower is not so much specialised as the preceding 
species. The petals are quite free and more upright, while 
the spur of the lower sepal Is not so marked, and the honey- 
secreting disc Is much smaller. The four anthers also dehisce 
at the same time 1 . 
This plant, which grows in the Karoo, is visited by another 
Cinnyris ( Nectarinia famosa ). 
Melianthus Dregeanus, Vahl. 
Visited by Zoster ops virens near Seymour, Stockenstrom 
{fide Mr. W. C. Scully). 
LEGUMINOSAE. 
SCHOTIA SPECIOSA, Jacq. 
The flowers are protogynous ; the pistil is usually flaccid 
when the anthers have all emerged from the perianth. 
The bright scarlet flowers are very conspicuous. Mr. W. C. 
Scully watched the birds (probably C. chalybea ) at work on 
this plant. 
Erythrxna caffra, D. C. (Figs. 4-5). 
The vexillum in this flower is very large and a brilliant 
scarlet, while the alae and carina are small and have no lever 
action whatever. The alae protect the honey from rain and 
insects as they overlap above the carina. The latter forms 
a sort of cup (see Fig. 5) in which the honey is held 2 . 
In the bud the stamens and style are enclosed in the vexil- 
lum : as the flowers ripen a sudden bend takes place in the 
staminal column, so that the stamens and style become nearly 
1 It appears to me probable that Aitonia capensis, or some similar form, may 
have been the ancestor of which Melianthus comosus , and then M. major , are the 
specialised descendants. 
2 The lower edges of the carina are united to keep in the honey. 
