BRIGHT COLOURS OF FRUITS 



orange-yellow. The bluish-black of the Blaeberry or Bil- 

 berry, of the Bramble, and of many Plums and Prunes, goes 

 along with a rather peculiar shade of green in the leaves which 

 sets them off. The black Elder berries, on the other hand, 

 have bright red or pink stalks which contrast prettily with 

 them. The colours of apples vary : many of them have been 

 rendered a gorgeous, glossy red through cultivation. One 

 of the most beautiful colour contrasts in Nature is found 

 in the rich black of the Olive, with its background of 

 shining white twigs and silver-green leaves. Another very 

 curious harmony is that of the Spindle tree fruit, which has a 

 hard dull red case that opens to display the seeds : these are 

 enclosed in a bright orange fleshy cup. ' 



Changes often occur. The Lily of the Valley fruit is at 

 first green, then becomes flecked with red, and finally is a 

 rich scarlet. Juniper berries change from green to purple. 



Now there is always some meaning in Nature for any series 

 of facts such as these. Why are these fruits so brightly 

 coloured and so conspicuous ? 



Birds and other animals are intended to scatter the fruits 

 and seeds, and so the fruits must be easily distinguished at a 

 distance. The seeds are taken to some other place, where 

 they germinate and form a new plant. This furnishes the 

 clue and guide to many other peculiarities in fruits and seeds. 



The pleasant smell of ripe apples, plums, strawberries, and 

 other fruits, also attracts birds and other animals. But the 

 sugary juice and delicious flesh is developed entirely for the 

 purpose of making it worth a bird's while to eat it. The 

 amount of sugary matter is enormous, and the seeds seem 

 very small and inconspicuous compared with this luscious 

 mass. The sugar is produced very rapidly towards the end 

 of the ripening period. 



Q 241 



