264 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [1, 6, nov. 1905 



as wild rice or other grain-plant might be eaten, but what animal 

 would eat bulrushes or flags even if they were placed on dry 

 ground ? 



Another case of " protection by water " : ' Flowers of many 

 species of plants as they project above the surface of the water 

 are protected from most unwelcome insects." But what insects? 

 Certainly only purely aquatic forms unable to fly; but what right 

 have we to consider these " unwelcome " or affecting the flowers 

 otherwise than might many others able to fly to the flower. To 

 the student of animal life the whole idea of protection of flowers 

 in this way appears to be entirely unsupported by reasonable 

 interpretation of the known facts. 



" By climbing trees and bushes many vines get beyond the reach 

 of cattle." But how about these same plants when they are 

 young, tender and attractive to grazing animals? If climbing is 

 a device for protecting from animals, surely it is a very imperfect 

 one. 



"When scattered by bursting pods, the seeds are seldom found 

 by animals. . . . The small size and inconspicuous colors make 

 it certain that few of them will ever be found and destroyed 

 by insects or mice. Plants of this kind are euphorbias or spurges, 

 violets, peas, beans, witch hazel, castor-oil plants, balsams and 

 many more." ( )n this point a student of animals must comment 

 as follows: First, the author omits mention of birds, the great 

 seed eaters. Anyone who has ever scattered broadcast small and 

 inconspicuous grains, even on a grassy lawn, and then watched 

 common domesticated fowls or sparrows search for them will 

 doubt whether bursting pods are significant as scatterers of seed 

 so as to " hide " it from animals. Again, the insects which would 

 destroy seeds are probably those which would find them readily 

 in the course of their roving about on the ground. The same 

 is true of mice. With regard to the seeds which are scattered 

 by bursting fruits, it remains to be investigated whether or not 

 they are eaten by animals even when not scattered. At present 

 we must remain unconvinced that scattering seeds is important 

 in " hiding " them from animals. 



" Seeds mimic pebbles." As examples are mentioned the 

 mottled castor-beans not easily found (by human eyes) when 

 thrown on the ground. But other even more inconspicuous seeds 

 are easily found by birds. It is not simply a cjuestion of deceiv- 



