THE TASMANIA N N ATU R AI A ST. 
33 
that alternate with the petals; and in the centre is the pistil. This is 
formed of two carpels so blended that they enclose a single chamber on 
each side, of which along the lines of junction is a row of minute 
ovules. 
If, instead of a Billardiera flower, you take that of a Pittosporum 
it will be found to conform also to the above description. When fruit 
forms a difference becomes apparent. Billardiera develops a berry, 
Pittosporum a leathery capsule, with numerous red or yellow sticky 
seeds. 
Our common form bears beautiful, nearly square, dark, purple 
berries ; but sometimes they are white. They may be white or tinged 
with blue on the same plant. In close proximity to the sea the berries 
are often pink or dark red, sometimes with a mixture of purple. If a 
young red-berried plant, or a slip of one, be cultivated away from the 
sea the berries appear to maintain their colour: but if a plant is raised 
from the seed of a red berry the colour seldom comes true, the fruits 
being generally a dirty purple. Why the proximity of salt water induces 
red fruit in this plant is not known. Our common Love creeper has 
usually blue flowers, rarely white, but when close to the sea it often 
bears pinky flowers. It will be interesting to test with these whether 
the white forms will be influenced by the addition of salt to their food. 
Preliminary Dote on the pterylosis and CDyology 
of the Fjind Citnb in Certain Iftegapodes. 
By T. THOMSON FLYNN, B.Sc. 
(John Coutts Research Scholar, Sydney. Lecturer in Hiology, University of Tasmania). 
TERYLOSIS. Nitzsch pointed out that in a museum specimen, badly 
v. preserved, of Megapodius rubripes, the oil gland was tufted 
(Proc. Ray Soc., 1S67). Garrod, later (Proc. Zool. Soc., 1878, pp. 629- 
631, Coll. Sc. Papers, pp. 452-3), states that in his examination of 
Megacephalon maleo, the oil gland was nude. These are the only two 
references available to me. In the * mallee fowl’ (Lipoa ocellata) and 
the ‘scrub 1 or ‘brush turkey ’ which two genera I have lately examined 
the oil gland was absolutely nude. Thus I had come to think that the 
naked oil gland was a general Megapode character, when I had the 
opportunity, through the courtesy of F. Young, Esq., engineer on Ss. 
‘ Upolu/ of examining a twelve days old chick of Megapodius eremita 
