SOME GROUPED FLOWERS 



65 



grows, a soft mealy berry; and when they are fully 

 mature, it signals the glad tidings to the world by 

 donning a rich cardinal 

 coat. If you cut open a 

 mature berry, you will 

 find that the center re- 

 sembles the core of an 

 apple with the seeds 

 well protected inside it. 

 If you taste the berry, 

 you will find it sweet 

 and spicy. 



Why does Madame 

 Christmas Berry take 

 so much trouble with 

 her seed-case? Well, 

 with all her love of 

 beauty, she is a utilitarian. She ever has the in- 

 stinct that she must get her seeds scattered. So 

 she wears the cardinal coat to attract the eyes of 

 Mr. Bird as he wings past. She hangs each berry 

 on a loose little stem so that he can pull it off with- 

 out losing his temper. She seasons the berry with 

 sugar and spice so that it will be palatable. She 

 puts the little seeds in a membraneous case so that, 

 if Mr. Bird gobbles his food whole, the seeds can 

 pass through his digestive system without being 

 harmed. It is claimed by some botanists that the 



CHRISTMAS BERRY 



