THE DISPERSION OK SEEDS AND SI'ORES. 1(J9 



having, as a rule, separate petals and exposed honey. 

 In some genera, such as Alchemilla and Poterium, 

 the flowers even appear to have degenerated into 

 the apetalous condition, 



A curious arrangement is found in the Magnolia. 

 Here we have an exception to the rule that one- 

 seeded fruits do not dehisce, for the capsule of 

 Magnolia opens and its single seed is thrown out. 

 But it remains attached by its long, slender, string- 

 like funiculus. The exterior of the seed being succu- 

 lent and coloured, the object of hanging it out in 

 this fashion is evidently that it may attract the 

 notice of birds. Ro.vhu.rgia hangs out its tufted 

 seed in the same way until it is torn off by the 

 Avind. 



As with insects in fertilising flowers, so with 

 birds in dispersing seeds, the service is rendered 

 unconsciously and unintentionally. There is the 

 exceptional case of the moth Avhich deliberately 

 pollinates the stigmas of the Yucca flowers. To this 

 we have a curious parallel, for it seems that in 

 Guatemala there is a bird which is said to pick a 

 hole in the bark of a particular tree, and to deposit 

 therein its excrement, containing the seeds of a 

 parasitic plant on the berries of which the bird 

 feeds. 



Glancing over the list of plants which produce 

 succulent fruits, we observe that these are either 

 trees or shrubs, herbaceous species being almost 

 unrepresented. The same rule evidently applies to 

 fruits which, as we have seen, obtains in the case 

 of flowers requiring the assistance of birds. Fruits 

 of this description, produced too near the ground, 

 would not only escape the notice of birds, but would 

 present a strong temptation to many terrestrial 

 creatures and attract a host of enemies in no way 

 fitted to help in dissemination. Of this we have 

 evidence in the frequency with which cultivated 

 strawberries are devoured by snails. Like large 

 mellifluous flowei's, succulent fruits adapted to birds 



