NATURAL HISTORY. 



21 



places — introduced. Flowers in 

 June and July. It is of no special 

 agi-icultural value. 



Hair Grass, or Fly Away 

 Grass, Tickle Grass, (agros- 

 tis scabra,') is another species 

 belonging to this genus, with 

 a panicle very loose and spread- 

 ing, pnrpUsh. Flowers in June 

 and July. Mainly remarkable 

 for the long hairy branches of its 

 extremely loose panicle. Com- 

 mon in old fields and drained 

 swamps. It is of no particular 

 agricultural value. Very com- 

 mon at tlic West, in Ohio, Illi- 

 nois, Michigan, and about Lake 

 Superior. The large, loose pan- 

 icles are exceedingly delicate and 

 brittle when the plant is ripe and 

 dry, and easily break away from 

 the stalk when they are blown 

 about by the wind, scattering 

 their seeds far and wide ; and 

 hence it is frequently called 

 '' Fly Away Grass." 

 This illustrates one of 

 the admirable contriv- 

 ances of nature for the 

 distribution of the 

 Fig. 18. seeds of grasses and 

 other plants ; sometimes by means of birds, sometimes by a 

 sort of wing attached to the light seed, and sometimes by the 

 force of the wind alone, as in this case, when plants start up 

 where no seed had been sown by the hand of man, and often 

 to our astonishment. 



Thin Grass, (^agrostis perennans,} is still another variety of 

 agrostis, with a panicle diffusely s])readiiig, pale green ; branches 

 short, divided and flower-bearing from or below the middle ; 

 found ill damp, shaded places. Flowers in June and July. 



Ecslish Bent. 



