648 
[Bu Theo. Carreras. 
The first stage of the Rosy Feather- 
The chalky 
form 
star after it has left the egg. 
skeleton is already beginning to 
within. 
of paradise. 
There are four or five different species, all natives of South Africa. 
Marvels of the Universe 
some firm substance and has attained the second stage in its 
history (see the second illustration on this page). In the 
third stage the arms, with the pinnules, begin to develop, 
the petals of the bud open out, and the cirri are pushed out 
from the enlarged uppermost stem-joint. This stage is shown 
As the Feather- 
star reaches maturity it drops from its stem and curls and 
on the right-hand of the picture on page 647. 
uncurls its feathery rays in its progress through the water, 
while the cirri which appeared by the uppermost stem-joint 
now serve the Feather-star as hooks by which it can attach 
itself to the seaweeds. 
THE BIRD OF PARADISE FLOWER 
THE remarkable plants of which we give photographs are 
near relations of the Banana. Unfortunately, black-and-white 
gives but a poor representation of the flowers which owe 
their glory to their brilliant tints, which have caused people 
to see in them some resemblance to the beauty of the birds 
When the one 
illustrated was first brought to this country, about a hundred and forty years ago, George the Third 
was the reigning monarch; and as the plant was newly-discovered and had no name, it was 
considered a fitting compliment to his queen (Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) to name the plant 
[By Theo. Carreras. 
The second stage; here the thread- 
like tail has developed into the long 
chalky stalk, but the base by which it is 
affixed to the rock is very large. 
after Hence its 
this 
date, the 
scientific name from that 
Strelitzia 
her. day to 
much as, at a 
named Victoria regia 
King’s grandmother. That 
the finest of its 
has been regine ; later 
new great water-lily was 
in compliment to our present 
first-found species is still considered 
Tace. 
It is a noble plant, about five feet in height, the long 
stalks of the older leaves ensheathing the newer and inner 
ones. They are not attached to any stem in the ordinary 
sense, all springing direct from the ground. There is, of 
course, What botanists call a contracted stem, but it is not 
apparent in most of the species. The flower-cluster is hidden 
at first in a boat-shaped, leaf-like wrapper, of similar nature 
to the hood of our Cuckoo-pint. When the flowers open 
they present a gorgeous appearance, for their slender sepals 
and petals are brightly coloured in orange and purple; so 
that in this condition the Bird of Paradise plant has been 
fitly described as one of the most splendid of all herbs. The 
seeds, which are used by the Kaffirs for food, are each sur- 
mounted by a tuft of orange-coloured hairs. 
The Majestic Bird of Paradise plant makes a more 
imposing appearance before it is in flower, owing to its 
superior size, which is twice that of Regine ; but its flowers, 
being white, do not compare for magnificence with those we 
have illustrated. 
