138 



THE ROMANCE OF SEED-SOWING. 



persion becomes necessary, colour and sweetness of taste in the 

 fruit come into play, to attract the animals of larger growth. 



Again, colour, to be of service, must, as a rule, be distinguish- 

 able at a distance. Accordingly, we find that fruits develope tints 

 that are easily set off against the background of green leaves, 

 such as red, black, yellow, or white. Red is by far the 

 commonest colour, varying from pink to scarlet or deep crimson. 

 Between twenty and thirty of our native edible fruits have some 

 shade or other of red. Among these may be named Straw- 

 berry, Raspberry, Barberry, Rose, Rowan-tree, Dogwood, 

 Honeysuckle, Holly, Arum, Asparagus, Lily of the Valley, and 

 others. Next in frequency comes black, or hues closely ap- 

 proaching it — /.£'., dark green or dark purple. For instance. 

 Blackberry, Sloe, Alder, Bilberry, Elder, Plum, Ivy, Privet, and 

 Buckthorn. Of white fruits. Mistletoe, Myrtle, and Snowberry 

 furnish examples. I can only, for the moment, think of one 

 actually yellow native fruit — the Sea Buckthorn of our east 

 coasts : but we often find yellow blended with other tints on 

 the same fruits, as in Apple and Pear, and there are some 

 yellow seeds, as in Corn-flag, which are seen when the vessels 

 open and expose them to view. Yellow, although a showy colour, 

 would seem to lack the power to attract, and so is for the most 

 part absent. 



Not only has colour in fruits gradually developed itself in 

 response to animal selection, but fieshiness or juiciness is trace- 

 able to the same cause. The soft, juicy pulp is both pleasant to 

 the taste (in most cases) and good for food. Accordingly, colour 

 having served to attract, juiciness, and in many instances s^cect- 

 fiess, steps in to satisfy. The Birds have found out that the two 

 pretty much go together, and they take care to use their know- 

 ledge. Colour is the sign-board hung out to give notice of the 

 delicious fare to be found inside. 



Different parts of the plant share in the provision of the 

 dainty, tempting food. In Strawberry, where the tiny fruitlets 

 are gritty and inedible, the receptacle, or tip of the flower-stalk, 

 enlarges by degrees into the red, juicy, sweet mass known to us 

 all, and thus the fruits are devoured for the sake of the pulp in 

 which they arc embedded. In Raspberry and Blackberry, the 



