234 CHAPTER XXXI. 



function, namely, to prevent ants from dragging the 

 pods down into their subterranean store-houses. I 

 have seen the insects attempting to pull in these 

 prickly Medic pods, in fact you may often find round 

 the entrance of an ant burrow quite a collection of 

 these Dry Fruits which the ants have been compelled 

 to abandon after taking the trouble to bring them 

 from a distance. How is it that so intelligent an 

 insect miscalculates the size of his hall door ? 



This pod does not dehisce (open) to release the 

 seed, for in that case the ant would have no difficulty 

 in carrying the grain home to his little larder ; but the 

 rootlet and stemlet (plumule) protrude while the seed 

 remains protected by the hard dry pod. Thus you 

 always notice these seedling Medics growing up from 

 a prickly appendage which is attached to the base of 

 their stem. 



Among the Medics two other curiosities are 

 worth mention ; first, M. orMculaHs (Fig. 85), which 

 you may find in any Olive grove. The spiral pod 

 resembles an accordion. Next, M. scutellata (Fig. 85). 

 The fruit is similar in structure, but the whorls lie 

 one within the other, reminding one of a Chinese 

 puzzle. Who will explain to us the purpose of these 

 plants in producing such complicated structures ? For 

 purpose there is. A herb which went to such expense 

 of sap without obtaining any advantage by it would 

 soon be distanced in the race for life. 



The Scutellata is not exactly common, but in the 

 Nice district it can generally be found without much 

 trouble. At Cimiez it is plentiful. 



These two botanical conundrums exhibit perhaps 

 the strangest development of the leguminous pod. 

 But the same natural order has other forms worth 



