252 SAGACITY AND MORALITY OF PLANTS. 



The Yellow-rattle {RhinantJnis crista-galli), so 

 abundant in our summer meadows, and the Eye- 

 bright {Euphrasia officinalis) of our dry pastures and 

 green hillsides, are guilty of partial parasitism. 

 Cow- wheat {Melampyruni), Toad-flax {Thesium), and 

 others practise it, perhaps in a less degree. 



In each and all of these instances of vegetable 

 robbery and murder the plants engaged in it have 

 degenerated from higher, nay, usually from the 

 very highest-developed forms. None have advanced 

 towards these practices, although the long indulgence 

 in them has in many cases produced contrivances 

 and adaptations as striking as those put forth for 

 more honest purposes. The only cause assignable 

 for the parasitism of these higher plants is poverty 

 — which forces them to choose between parasitism 

 or extinction ! 



What is to be said of that host (whose name is 

 Legion) of lower organised plants which never 

 appear to have adopted any other mode of life 

 than that of robbing and murdering, and generally 

 preying upon, plants much higher in vegetable rank 

 than themselves ? To such belong our parasitic 

 Fungi — the dread of agriculturists and horticulturists, 

 from the extent of their ravages, their virulence, and 

 their unsurpassed cunning in evading detection and 

 interference. No wonder ! In the first place there 

 is reason to believe this class of plants never lived 

 in any other way than by plundering more highly- 



