184 GLIMPSES IXTO PLANT-LIFE 



Araucaria f which was planted there in 1830^ was 

 carried b)' the wind for an amazing distance to a 

 female tree on the other side of the garden, pollin- 

 ating its cones so that they produced fertile seeds. 

 In some of the Canadian pine forests, the trees 

 shed forth such quantities of pollen in the flower- 

 ing season that the ground becomes perfectly' yel- 

 low. The early settlers, being unable to account 

 for the strange phenomcnoti in any other way, 

 ascribed it to showers of sulphur descending from 

 the clouds. Even in our own country the foliage 

 and undergrowth in the neighbourhood of fir 

 woods is often thicklx' coated with the )'ellow dust 

 falling from the male catkins of the trees ; the 

 structure of the pollen grains is such that the\' float 

 very buoyantl)'. each grain being provided with two 

 air bladders. I may mention in passing that this 

 apparently wasted pollen affords a rich feast to 

 endless species of bees and flies, and is in man)' 

 cases stored up b)' them as food for their }'oung 

 grubs. The various adaptations for wind pollina- 

 tion will perhaps be better understood if we glance 

 at the attractions which flowers offer to birds and 

 insects. 



