Disrr.Rsiox or i-ri'its .ixd seeds 239 



Seychelles Islands, are often thrown upon \ery 

 distant shores. Tins luit is said to take ten 

 years to come to perfection ; it is e.\ceedin<,dy 

 hard, and sometimes weii^hs as much as forty 

 pounds. I'he common cocoa-nut is often found 

 growinij^ on the shores of coral and cither islands 

 in the Pacific Ocean, and owes its position there to 

 the buoyant nature of the nut, which floats un- 

 injured in the sea until it finds a restiny;-place and 

 a home on some atoll or island. In this \va\' the 

 cocoa-palm has spread to such an extent that it is 

 now perhajxs the only palm common to the wes- 

 tern and eastern hemispheres. West Indian seeds 

 and fruits have even been thrown upon the Nor- 

 wegian coasts, and, but for the unsuitability of the 

 climate, there is little doubt that tropical trees and 

 plants might sometimes be found growing e\en so 

 far north. It is (jbvious that the seeds of all 

 vegetation on the banks of rivers, small ruiuiing 

 streams and lakes, must be liable to very wide 

 distribution. Darwin made main' interesting ex- 

 periments as to tile length u[ time seeds could 

 retain their \italit}' when floating in fresh or salt 

 water. Ripe hazel nuts germinated after being 



