220 Sargent.—Fragments of the Flower Biology 
seen the flowers of A . bicolor visited by small birds (Glycipkila ?), and some 
years ago friends in South Perth told me they had seen small birds 
assiduously taking nectar from the flowers of A. Manglesii . I have spoken 
of the flower of Calothamnns sanguineus as the culminant of one type of 
floral structure. It is worthy of note that an almost identical arrangement 
(mechanically and in appearance) is reached by the flowers of Anigozanthus , 
which I think may be regarded as the culminant of the tubular perigone 
type of structure. Further development would require an alteration 
of plan. 
Four papilionaceous plants I believe to be ornithophilous : Templetonia 
retusa , R. Br. (red flowers with yellow eye), Crotalaria Cunningkami , 
R. Br. (green flowers), Clianthus Dampieri , A. Cunn. (red flowers with 
black eye), and Kennedy a nigricans , Lindl. (black flowers with yellow 
eye). I have only actually seen birds at work on the flowers of the first 
named; but the size and rigidity of all seems too great for insects. 
Structure and mechanism call for no special comment. 
I come now to my last type, I think the most specialized of all. 
In this the style apex before the maturity of the stigma acts as pollen 
presenter. The perigone does little more than protect the essential organs 
in the bud. In some of the less specialized cases it assists perhaps in 
attracting pollinators. In many cases its base forms a useful nectar 
container. The anthers discharge their loads of pollen on to the style top 
before the flower opens, and are withered shells in the open flower, which 
consists essentially of a slender filament or rod bearing first pollen, and, 
later, a microscopic stigma. Surely that is simplicity in excelsis , and 
speaks eloquently of triumph over dry and trying conditions, because the 
simplicity is clearly not primitive but developed. The only plants I know 
in this class belong to the Natural Order Proteaceae . The multitude of 
individual forms is bewildering. Almost every variation occurs from the 
simple solitary flower through all degrees of aggregation to the compact 
spike or even a capitulum. I have notes concerning but few forms. 
Adenanthos cuneata , Labill., has simple flowers solitary in the axils. 
They are dull red and seem small for the attentions of birds ; yet I often 
saw birds— Zoster ops gouldi chiefly—dipping their beaks into the flowers 
when in Albany a few years ago. The protruding style end rubbed the 
bird’s head, and pollination seemed inevitable. This plant is interesting 
in that while the flowers are small and inconspicuous, the subtending 
leaves are of a crimson hue, and the branch tips bearing them, especially 
when seen against the light, resemble racemes of flowers. The behaviour 
of the birds, however, did not suggest that they were attracted by the 
bright colour. The flowers of species of Grevillea are closely similar in 
structure to those of Adenanthos , but they are aggregated in loose 
racemes, and perhaps render some mutual aid in the way of attraction. 
