HIDE AND SEEK. 93 



Among many kinds of fungi, water -weeds, sea- 

 weeds, mosses, and even ferns, the spores and male 

 organs actually possess locomotive power, and by 

 means of cilia and flagella are able to move from 

 the parent plant, and distribute themselves to some 

 distance. The names of zoospores^ antherozoa, etc., 

 have been given to these organs of reproduction. 

 The spores of other kinds of fungi, as well as those 

 of mosses, ferns, etc., are of exceeding small size, 

 even in the largest species ; and they are produced 

 in amazing numbers. Their smallness and lightness 

 are in their favour, for the wind readily disperses 

 them, and carries them to great distances, perhaps 

 even across seas and oceans. 



There is a difference between the botanical and 

 the popular idea of the fruit. The latter regards it 

 as " something to eat !" The former considers it as 

 the ripened pistil, or seed-case. Ruskin's description 

 aptly places the relation of seed and fruit before us 

 — the fruit is in reality the " husk." This husk may 

 be eatable — it often is, as in the plum, apricot, 

 peach, etc., but it is often, perhaps oftener, not 

 edible. Nay, the edible part may not be a husk at 

 all, although it exists for the sake of the husk, as in 

 the strawberry. 



One has not to consider very long before arriving 

 at the conclusion that true fruits, like true flowers, 

 may be divided into two classes — conspicuous and 

 inconspicuous. There is this difference in the parallel, 



