22 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



of mammals, an extremely effective mode of locomotion. Birds 

 nearly always carry some mud and seeds with them from pond 

 to pond, and doubtless this is the explanation of the extremely 

 wide range of most bog and water-plants. 



4. The heavy nuts of trees are moved to some extent by 

 squirrels and other small animals, which carry them off for food. 

 Many are dropped by them en route, and others are stored up 

 but never used and may come finally to the ground and 

 germinate. Blue Jays are said to store up quantities of nuts 

 which they never use. Probably oaks, hickories, etc., secure a 

 part of their locomotion in this way. Such seeds are not in- 

 tended to be eaten and many of them have a bitter taste which 

 to some extent prevents it. 



5. By the development of nutritious and pleasant tasting 

 pulp in which seeds, protected from digestion l)y hard coatings, 

 etc., are imbedded, animals are made to carry seeds for long 

 distances, discharging them finally from their bodies under 

 conditions most favorable for germination. This is the true 

 philosophy of edible fruits in Nature. To protect them from 

 being eaten before the seeds are ripe, they are usually green in 

 color and may even possess spines or stinging hairs, but have 

 some bright color making them as conspicuous as possible when 

 they are ripe. Thus when they ripen early in the season they 

 are red, this color contrasting the best with the green of foliage 

 — but when they ripen after the foliage has turned red, they 

 are often purple, and when they grow in dark or shaded places, 

 they are often white, as in many parasites. Birds are particu- 

 larly adapted to this mode of dissemination. Their smaller size 

 and habits make it possible for the plants to attract them more 

 readily than the larger mammals ; hence berries ai'e particularly 

 common on trees and shrubs, less so on low herl)s, though they 

 do occur upon the latter and are eaten by ground l)irds. Though 

 many seeds become destroyed in the animal's body, many others 

 pass through without injury, and in some cases actually 

 germinate better than these which have not been swallowed. 

 The seed may be made indigestible either by its coats becoming 



