ON THE PEAR 
the apple. And, for that matter, we shall see else- 
where that there is another possible interpreta- 
tion of the story of the prehistoric migrations of 
the trees. 
Be all that as it may, the pear retains to this 
day evidence of the inherent need, in the interest 
of its race, that the seeds borne at the heart of its 
fruit shall be preserved in a moist condition. 
The skin of the pear, except in the most re- 
cently modified varieties, is firm and thick. It is 
of a green or mottled yellow color calculated to 
protect it from the observant eyes of birds and 
animals rather than to attract them. It has been 
assumed that the eatable pulp that surrounds the 
seed was designed by nature—that is to say, de- 
veloped through natural selection—for the pur- 
pose of attracting animals and birds, that these 
creatures may aid in disseminating the seed. 
But the case of the pear, in common with that 
of the wild crab apple, suggests that the chief 
purpose of the fruit-pulp is to keep the seeds moist 
through the winter. As a further aid to this, and 
in token of the moisture-loving quality of its seeds, 
the skin of the pear is fortified by a deposit of 
woody cells at its inner surface that give it a gran- 
ular or even gritty texture. 
This unique quality of the fruit may even ex- 
tend to the pulp itself, especially with the more 
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