219 
of Westraliau Plants . 
structure—the reduction of the perigone and marked development of the 
androeceum—reaches its culminating point in the flower of Calothamnus 
sanguineus , Labill. The two upper stamen bundles are united into a broad 
half-tube, gradually becoming an almost flat band towards its apex, where 
it breaks into a fringe of short filaments. This structure is inclined towards 
the ground, so that the anthers are in a plane below that of the floral axis, 
though the bundles are inserted above it. The anthers are thus caused to 
press against the head of any bird taking nectar. The remaining two 
bundles are reduced each to a single filament, shorter and with smaller 
anthers than the others. At first sight these reduced bundles seem useless ; 
but I have observed that their anthers brush the bird’s cheek. Now the 
stigma usually rubs the bird’s head ; but it is easily displaced and it may 
sometimes rub the cheek. If so, the value of the reduced lateral bundles is 
obvious. My observations are insufficient to show whether this more highly 
specialized plant is more successful in securing pollination than Beaufortia 
sparsa. Both species fruit very freely. 
The bright red tubular flowers of Astrolotna divaricatum , Sond., are 
less than half an inch long, and the tube is only about one-eighth of an inch 
wide. The floral mechanism closely resembles that of Erica spp. I at 
first thought the flower entomophilous ; but though I have kept an eye 
on the plants for many years I have not observed insect visits. On the 
other hand, I have often seen small birds on the shrubs at flowering time, 
and on one occasion my brothers saw a bird ‘suck honey from a flower’. 
If this species is indeed ornithophilous, other species of Astroloma are 
probably so also. My observations of bird visits to Arbutus and Erica 
flowers are of interest in this connexion. I have not seen Astroloma 
flowers damaged by birds. Quite recently I saw a small bird thrusting 
its beak into the flowers of Habrothamnus sp. in a Perth garden. These 
flowers are comparable in size and shape .with Astroloma blossoms, 
and were not damaged. I could not make out whether pollination took 
place. 
The plant’s close relationship with Anigozanthus , and the size of its 
tubular red blossoms, lead me to think that Blancoa canescens , Lindl., is 
probably pollinated by birds. The flowers of most species of A7iigozanthus 
are tubes split open on their lower sides. In the species best known 
to me, A. humilis , Lindl. (flower orange and red), A,, bicolor , Endl., and 
A. Manglesii , D. Don (flowers rich green with scarlet base, in both 
species), the perigone might well be likened to a ribbon fastened round 
the ovary at one end and having the other free and practically flat. Just 
below the flat end six linear anthers are set in an orderly row on very 
short filaments. The style is very slender, longer than the perigone, with 
somewhat swollen apex and apical stigma. I have never had the good 
fortune to see the flowers visited. My brothers, however, have repeatedly 
