THE ROMANCE OF SEED-SOWING. 139 



fruitlets themselves are juicy and sweet, and being thus better 

 fitted to attract, we find that these plants possess fewer seeds, 

 fewer being needed, since each one of the cluster can assert 

 itself by means of its rich pulpy envelope. In Rose, we find 

 fewer still ; the brightly-coloured hip — a development of the 

 receptacle, hollowed out to contain the fruits (not seeds, these 

 being inside the fruits) — presenting suftlcient attraction in itself, 

 both from its colour and composition. In Whitethorn, with 

 only two seeds, each well protected by its own bony covering, 

 we find perhaps the greatest attraction for Birds, especially 

 Robins. Here the calyx-tube forms part of the fruit. In Cherry, 

 the outer part of the single fruit becomes juicy, as also in Plum, 

 belonging to the same Genus. 



Colour and juiciness having done their part, we next find that 

 hardness operates to prevent Birds from damaging the seed. 

 Nearly all the seeds of these fleshy fruits are protected by some 

 tough or stony covering, such as the outside layer of the minute 

 Strawberry fruits, or the stone of Cherry, Plum, or Hawthorn. In 

 other cases, the outer layer of the seed itself is sufficiently tough 

 to resist attack. 



In cases where the seeds themselves are edible, we often find 

 them shut up within an envelope which is more or less bitter, 

 as in Walnut, Beech, and the two Chestnuts. These are refused 

 by Birds, and the edible part of the seed is stored away to form 

 food for the tiny embryo-plant. Even where these edible seeds 

 are sought for, as by Squirrels, dispersion is very often effected, 

 for many are dropped in transit, and others are forgotten and left 

 to germinate away from the parent-tree. 



Birds disperse seeds in two ways. Either they carry off the 

 fruit and, devouring the juicy covering, drop the hard seed to 

 the earth ; or they swallow the fruits whole, as in Strawberry or 

 Raspberry, and the indigestible seeds are dropped in the ordinary 

 manner. We can easily see how powerful a method of dispersion 

 is afforded by Birds. Thrushes, going from North to South in 

 berry-time, must carry thousands of seeds to deposit them in the 

 warmer climate. The American Currant {Phytolacca) was long 

 ago introduced artificially into Bordeaux, its berries being used to 

 colour wines. It flourishes now all over Southern France and 



