HOW PLANTS SPREAD AND MULTIPLY © 45 
which may stick in a sheep's foot and give him much 
pain before he is able to get rid of it. On the other 
hand, the seed may consider that the sheep ate its mother 
just before, and that it is only making matters even. The 
pattern of one of these seeds, by-the-by, was adopted 
at one time for an implement of war, and an iron model 
of the ¢7zbulus seed was often laid down in order to 
maim the feet of cavalry horses. You will remember 
that Robert Bruce’s use of this somewhat unsportsman- 
like device was one of our various excuses for being so 
badly beaten at Bannockburn. 
