162 THE HUMAN SIDE OF PLANTS 



as were those clever arctic foxes spoken of by the 

 Danish travellers as being particularly fond of 

 the eider-duck's eggs and having to devise the trick 

 of reaching the almost inaccessible nests where they 

 are located on the steep sides of high cliffs, by tak- 

 ing one another's tails in their mouths, and thus 

 forming a string, similar to a "human chain," of 

 sufficient length to reach the eggs, and then letting 

 one end down over the cliff. We are not told, 

 however, how these eggs were passed up by the 

 crafty foxes! 



Plants are no less capable in acquiring their ne- 

 cessities, though much of their cleverness is hidden 

 from us. It is well known, however, that when 

 they hibernate they suspend practically all natural 

 functions, and the long sleep is broken only by 

 the approach of spring. This period of slumber 

 is the time when the plant is inwardly preparing 

 for the oncoming season. 



But this sleep is not for long. When the snow 

 disappears, note the marvellous change! It is al- 

 most a re-creative awakening. Even when there 

 may be still many days of cold and frost ahead, 

 those trees whose habit it is to flower early begin 

 to put forth their first young buds. But should a 

 mild period occur in December, there are no signs 

 of awakening in these trees. Either, it seems, the 



