The Seniors of the Forest 285 



form with the greatest simplicity of floral structure. 

 They are among the earliest terrestrial plants 

 known to us. They are " the seniors of the 

 forest," surviving types from a younger world. 

 They were many and prosperous in the geologic 

 " Age of Reptiles," when animal life swam and 

 crawled but had scarcely yet begun to run or fly. 



The first flowers the young world saw were 

 borne by the Coniferae, and as there were no 

 winged insects in those days, the trees had to send 

 pollen to one another by the wind. Now, when 

 the summer air is full of possible pollen-carriers 

 ready for errands, and when less conservative 

 flower-families have learned to rely altogether upon 

 their ministrations, the Coniferae depend, as of old, 

 upon the wind alone. They are like the people of 

 some unprogressive communities, who cling to old 

 methods of work, and look askance on modern 

 machinery and labor-saving devices. 



As the Coniferae can carry on their affairs without 

 the aid of flying messengers, they are able to per- 

 petuate themselves abundantly in cold regions, 

 while gay blossoms, which cannot set their seed 

 without the ministrations of insects, are practically 

 restricted to latitudes where the climate is favor- 

 able to the life of their winged friends. 



