, 1909-10-09

clined to be tubular: but sometimes as even
ing approaches he may be seen hovering IN
front of the flowers OF the wild mnssambee
(cleome puNgenS) where there Is no tube but
the drops of nectar stand open for all the
world. It is possible that IN this last named
case the futtering wings may take up some
of the pollen from the extended stamens
lust as the wings of the twilight moths DO,
aud in such case the bird may render 4"
service to the flower, which however IS mucn
more likely to be rendered by means OF the
bill where the form Of the flower appro&cheS
the tubular.
From such general observations let US
pass over to consider two cases ID when
the adaptation Of the flower to the bfd IS
very remurkable. The first is the we'll
known plant called the pi"gul", sometimes
auitch. 1t has long prickly leaves arranged
round and round as in the aloe, ngave and
pineapple, and to the last-nulned it IS a
near relative, as anyone who has seen q
patch of pines IN flower will know. Its
prize. Y leaves and its habit of sending out
long suckers from below make 1t q capital
hedge plant, and for that purpose 1t IS much
used in St. Croix, particularly IN the East
Eud. When about to send up a head OF now
ers. which it does from the plants centre,
it produces first n number OF br. 6ht red leaves,
or bracts, around the centre, and then III the
midst of these comes up the cone OF Movers
When we examine the cone we find that there
is IA thick central stem, branching from winch
are several smaller stems, each bearing q few
flowers. Supporting the stems and flowers
are numerous b%racts, and the whole thing,
both stems and bracts, has u powdery white
colour, out OF which peep the dalntlIy tinted
purplish flowers.
As the light-coloured fower-cone rests
there in the midst of the blazing red OF the
large surrounding bracts the whole makes q
very striking picture, and must be specially
so when seen from above. Perhaps II Is
meant for someone who can thus &c II,
For YOU and me it is certainly not intended,
although we can appreciate 1t. For whom
then? The writer remembers with much
pleasure q Sunday afternoon which he spent
many years ago in waiting near a clulnp OF
Towering p%inguins at Mt. Welcome, Longing
on a bank, looking out for m answer to
that question. For whom was al that
brilliant attraction intended BY and by
the invited Que came, came with a light
whir and perched on q twlg not fur from
where the spectator was seated. Beautiful
creature, rs he stood there his thoughts were
plainly bent Oh two things, first on the
handsome plants below and the sweet drops
that he knew to be at the bottoms Of
THEN flowers, then on the spectator. What
did this intruder want there Perhaps he
had seen such before in oiher places, may
be the last one he had seen HAD thrown u stone
at him. How could he find out about this
one He would wait q little. So he did,
the spectator keeping quite still. Finally,
concluding that things looked not unfriend-
", down he came into one Of the scarlet
bowl6,and hanging there,a shining green body
between two tiny ~humming clouds, he thrust
his long beak down one flower tube after the
other, and dashed off for another scarlet
BOWL near at band, then having robbed that
one also Of its treasure, and tired at last,
he flew to q twig and rested. Then it was
amusing to see him wiping his slender bill
on the twig at his feet just as a hen may
often be seen to 90 after feeding. It was
plain that som of the pollen had stuck to
his bill, and his action thus revealed that
the flowers methods had succeeded, he had
transferred the pollen from one flower to the
other and had secured their production Of
seed.
That the devices are finally success
full we shall see if we visit the plants
81 few weeks afterwards. when we shall find