. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. Fruit and leaves of Ficus macrophylla, the Moreton Bay Fig. [Photo.—A. Mi(S(jran: form of the Port Jackson Fig, growing near the National Art Gallery, Sydney. This species may be easily recognised from the Moreton Bay Fig by its smaller leaves. Il'liiitii.—.1. Miixiirai-e. ad hexing to the body. As soon as the insect is out it searches over the tree or another one in the vicinity, for a very young fig just forming on the tree, carrying the pollen unconsciously with it. It so happens that the young fig, for which the insect is searching, is fil
. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. Fruit and leaves of Ficus macrophylla, the Moreton Bay Fig. [Photo.—A. Mi(S(jran: form of the Port Jackson Fig, growing near the National Art Gallery, Sydney. This species may be easily recognised from the Moreton Bay Fig by its smaller leaves. Il'liiitii.—.1. Miixiirai-e. ad hexing to the body. As soon as the insect is out it searches over the tree or another one in the vicinity, for a very young fig just forming on the tree, carrying the pollen unconsciously with it. It so happens that the young fig, for which the insect is searching, is filled with certain floAvers just ready for the reception of pollen. When the fig-insect has found such a fig, it im- mediately bores into it and begins laying eggs to the amount of about seventy-five. In doing this it accom- plishes the principal Avork in its own life—the housing for the feeding and development of its progeny. But in attaining this object, it has done the tree a service of vital importance. It has carried pollen into the young fig at exactly the time the female fiowers within the fruit need the pollen for the fertilization and development of seed. The tree is thus absolutely dependent upon this particular insect for its repro- duction or perpetuation and the insect equally in need of this tree, and no other, for the continuance of its existence. This is a mar- vellous provision of nature to ensure cross-polhnation. The Fort Jackson Fig was found to be inhabited and pollinated by another insect, related to, but different from that in the ^loreton Bay Fig. The important relation-. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Australian Museum; Australian Museum. Sydney, Australian Museum
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
