28 STRONG BRINK AND TOBACCO SMOKE. 



loosely-fitting coats (husks), wliicli readily fall away 

 on thresliino;, leavinor tlie seeds naked. These serve 

 as a sufiicient j)rotection from rain and atmospheric 

 influences. In place of these, barley-seed, as we have 

 seen, is furnished with two tightly-fitting tunics ; and 

 lest these should become damaged by moisture, they 

 are furnished at their points with long, tapering awns, 

 covered with minute hairs. The awns serve as admir- 

 able contrivances to carry ofi" an excess of moisture, 

 which might otherwise act injuriously on the seed. 

 Such appears to me an explanation of the use of 

 these very elegant appendages of the seed. 



The use of the hah's, which are so abundant in the 

 awns (and which, on reference to Plate 4, fig. 26, will be 

 seen to curve outwards and upwards), is not so readily 

 explained. The story is told of a youth who, whilst 

 passing through a field of growing barley, carelessly 

 snatched and placed in his mouth a few of these 

 " barbed " awns. It so happened that they passed 

 down the wind-pipe with the points of the hairs 

 uppermost, which efi"ectually prevented their dislodg- 

 ment by coughing. This seemingly trifling incident 

 led to violent haemorrhage of the lungs, caused by 

 these silicated hairs, and speedy death. 



I have considered our Ixirley plant hitherto as in 

 a flourishing and healthy state of growth ; but it, like 

 other things, is subje(;t to disease and death before 

 reaching maturity. 



Contrast, for instance, the two plants on the next page ; 



