36 The Romance of Wild Flowers 
the Rose was similar, only as the Rose-hip was to be 
eaten by birds the fruit was arranged to remain 
standing in a most conspicuous position instead of 
falling from the bush. 
The Wild Pear (Pyrus communis) agrees in most 
details with the Wild Apple, but the form of the first 
is more conical, the receptacle gradually enlarging 
from the stalk, instead of suddenly as in the Apple. 
The smaller fruits of the Wild Service (Pyrus tormin- 
alvs).are variable in shape between that of the Pear 
and of the Apple, and are small enough to be eaten by 
birds whole, though their greenish- brown colour 
would lead one to suppose that small mammals were 
more concerned in the work of distributing the seeds. 
A similar remark applies to the Medlar (Pyrus 
germanica), which is coloured brown when ripe, and 
is of very different shape from the other Apples, the 
top being flat and the calyx lobes not in the centre. 
No bird would attack it whilst on the tree, but after 
it has fallen upon the ground it begins to decay, or 
“let,” as fruit-growers say, and has then a pleasant 
acid-sweet taste, which would make it acceptable to 
field-mice, dormice, voles, 
ete., who would carry it 
away and thus scatter 
the seeds. Another of 
this section of the Roses 
is the Mountain Ash 
or Rowan-tree (Pyrus 
aucuparia), Which pro- 
duces tiny httle Apples 
\ ft of a brilliant scarlet in 
\ aX “Haws” dense drooping clusters 
