ROBBER Y AND MURDER. 245 



sclously disseminate them. As soon as the radicle 

 of the Myzodendron sprouts, it drives its way through 

 the bark to the growing " cambium-layer " beneath, 

 where it connects itself organically like a graft, and 

 the plant is thereafter supported by the Beech foster- 

 mother, or rather involuntary tax-payer. 



Professor Mosely {Notes by a Naturalist on the 

 " Challenger ") mentions a species of leafless Mistletoe 

 on the slopes of the Andes, which grows on a leaf- 

 less Cactus {LorantJins aphyllus on Ccrcus Qniseo). 

 Such an occurrence presents to a botanist a condensed 

 history of vegetable modification and abortion seldom 

 met with. What a marvellous number of changes 

 must have taken place before this particular and 

 specialised act of parasitism could be brought about ! 

 Mosely tells us the parasite is extremely abundant, 

 growing on nearly all the Cereiis trees ; and that it 

 is very conspicuous, because its short stems are of a 

 bright pink colour. 



Certain Australian species of Mistletoe bear 

 leaves which can hardly be distinguished from those 

 of the trees on which they live parasitically. No 

 reason is yet known for this singular act of mimicry ; 

 but there can be no doubt whatever the simulation 

 has not taken place without a purpose. 



The most ingenious of our native vegetable robbers, 

 however, are the Dodders {CtcsctUa), of which we 

 have several species. There is a refinement about 

 them not indulged in by parasites generally ; they 



