302 SAGACITY AND MORALITY OF PLANTS. 



and pulpy fruits ; whilst the bones of fossil monkeys, 

 rodents, etc., suggest that nuts, with their hard 

 coverings, must already have been formed, by way 

 of defence against decimation by such mammalia. 



In short, all the principal features of the vegetable 

 kingdom, such as we now behold, had been more than 

 roughed out — they had been refined — in the Miocene 

 Period. The chief fact in connection with flowering 

 plants since then has been their altered geographical 

 distribution, due both to change of climate and the 

 physical geographical changes which have occurred 

 in the meantime. Under the influence of these 

 combined, many species and some genera have 

 become extinct. Others which were then abundant 

 are now rare, and contrariwise. Habits of parasitism 

 may have been developed on the part of members 

 of various orders — perhaps insectivorous habits as 

 well. Some plants which formerly possessed upright 

 stems may now be climbers or creepers ; some may 

 have developed thorns and prickles out of modified 

 leaves, stipules, branches, or hairs, in response to the 

 greater dangers surrounding them from the introduc- 

 tion of greater numbers of mammalia. The flowers 

 of many orders may have been changed in colour 

 and even shape, so as to produce the extreme 

 varieties we have in such orders as RaminadacecB, 

 RosacecB^ ScropJmlariacecB, etc. 



The process is still going on, and must go on. 

 Organic nature knows no more of rest or stability 



