, 1909-10-09
THE BIRD AND THE FLOWER.

OF course You have noticed how the white
cedar flowers very often come out on n tree
that does not yet own one leaf. Or perhaps
if you look around you may find a few leaves
here a1d there, but on the whole the tree is
simply q gigantic bouquet of almost pure
white flowers. At such times the ground
below the :ree is frequently strewn with the
pretty blossoms, which, examined, show
some pretty tints and markings, and turn
out to be not 80 pure a white AS we have
supposed. Some trees indeed have their
flowers distinctly tinted throughout. Yet
the name *"aoh5te cedar" is still applicable,
for it appears to be the colour of the
wood rather than that of the flower that is
indicated, and in any case the name distin-
cuisines the tree very we'll from another
member Of the family, the well-known **yeUow
cedar, that covers the hill-sides behind
Christlansted, and towards Christmas time
makes those hill-sides gay with its golden
blossoms.
To return to our huge bouquet, we find in
the morning hours that it's beauty is enhanc-
cd by the presence of o number of birds,
the well-knOwn little yeUoao breasts, that
hop about and chirp amongst It's branches.
What are they doing? Let us watch one
of them, and we shall see him hop on to q
twig near one of the flowers, into the lower
part of which he then strikes his bill and
after o very brief stay hops or flies eff to
another, where he repeats the operation.
The others are all occupied in the same way,
and that the business is q pleasant one for
them is plain from the merry chirpings that
fill the tree. 1t is in truth u merry break
fast party, for they are all busy in sucking
nectar from the base Of the flowers which
they pierce.
What does the tree gain in return for such
hberality to the birds ? SO far as we can
see, nothing at all for the stamens and the
pistil are, of course, inside the flower,
and as no part of the bird passes near
to these organs, the bird cannot possibly
transfer any of the pollen. Yet the ovaries
must be very often fertilizod, for the tree
bears an abundance of seeds. Bees may
sometimes be seen struggling in and out of
the open flowers and it is probably by them
that the needful tranference of the pollen
is made.
The common red hibiscus is often visited
by yellOw-breasts, but neither here are they
of any use to the flower, for again III this
case they get at the nectar by the back
door, they pierce the base of the flower.
But there are cases where bird and flower
seem to be especially built for each other
and where there is a mutual gain from the
connection, the bird getting its foot, the
flower securing, in return, the transference
of the pollen from anther to stigma.
Those beautiful little creatures known rs
humming birds appear to live largely on
nectar, though naturalists tell US that
Ansects also form part OF their food. They
are furnished with a slender bill and a pc
culiar tongue, which is divided along part
of its length in such u way that the two
halves put together form q tube. With this
organ the humming bird can draw up nectar
from any flower in front of which it hovers.
In Santa Cruz we have two species, both
green in colour. The larger of the two is
known AZ the doctor bird, the smaller, known
possibly by the anne name, is distinguished
by the shining emerald crest of the male
bird. The following observations refer to
the larger species. Perhaps the facts stated
are true also of the other species, which
seems to be much rarer but the writer will
speak only of what he has seen.
There are many different flowers in front
of which the humming- bird may be seen