140 THE HUMAN SIDE OF PLANTS 



most other fruits, to say nothing of their flavours 

 and sweet juices. These qualities make the fruit 

 an object of much attraction, and cause it to be 

 sought after; while the seeds, transported with the 

 fruit, are protected from harm by hard or bitter 

 coverings. This method of insurance is used by 

 various kinds of berries also, and by haws, grapes, 

 and figs. 



One of the most ingenious ways of insuring the 

 welfare of the offspring is used by certain small 

 plants, which actually place them under the.ground, 

 or hurl them away to places of safety. 



"With fierce distracted eye Impatiens stands, 

 Swells her pale cheeks, and brandishes her hands, 

 With rage and hate the astonish'd grove alarms, 

 And hurls her infants from her frantic arms." 



Not only the forget-me-not, but many other 

 plants have this interesting method of insuring a 

 proper dispersal of their fruit. The squirting cu- 

 cumber will burst open with the slightest touch and 

 spit its seeds out with a bang, like a squirt-gun. 



The common peanut, or groundnut, carefully 

 buries underground its fruit pods, or nuts. These 

 peanuts are produced from simple underground 

 flowers, and the parent plant has buried them that 

 they may escape the attention of enemies. The 



