272 Scott-Elliot. — Ornithophilous Flowers 
dr at a, Xylocopa cajfra , Apis mellifica , Tetratonia longicornia. 
Lepidoptera : several species and numerous Diptera. 
LABIATAE. 
Leonotis ovata, Spreng. 
The flowers are arranged in two or more dense whorls sepa- 
rated by rather long internodes. The calyx tube is long and 
excessively rigid : the most remarkable peculiarity in the 
corolla is the almost rudimentary condition of the lower lip : 
the upper lip, which is of the usual Labiate type, forms a sort 
of roof protecting the stamens from rain. 
The whole outer surface of the corolla is covered with long 
foxy-red hairs: these probably keep off unnecessary insects 
(in conjunction with the usual ring of hairs within the corolla 
just above the ovary). 
Cross-fertilisation is ensured by the position of the stigma 
always above and in front of the stamens. Both style and 
stamens are covered by the upper lip of the corolla. Honey 
is very abundantly secreted by a very large nectary of the 
ordinary Labiate type. The distance from the stigma to the 
nectary is about sixteen lines, which is exactly that of the 
beak of Nectarinia chalybea. The flower is also curved with 
the same curvature as that of the bird’s beak. 
I found Nectarinia chalybea sucking the flowers on the 
Kagaberg, Bedford. The bird grasps the bare stalk below 
the whorl, then rapidly sucks all the flowers of the whorl, and 
hops up to the next internode, or more usually flies to another 
plant. Also visited by Cinnyris Kirkii. 
The flowers are also visited by numerous bees, Apis mellifica 
and others, but these, unless when gathering pollen, cannot 
produce fertilisation 1 . 
Salvia aurea, L. (Figs. 19, 20.) 
The plant is a shrub three to six feet high, and bears a pro- 
1 The withered lower lip prevents their obtaining a convenient entrance. I saw 
one bee repeatedly miss the opening and then fly away in disgust. The rigidity 
of the calyx (the distinctive character of the genus), colour and inflorescence, are 
all ornithophilous adaptations. 
