The Making of Species 



yarrow or wild parsnip. These distinctions made 

 by certain kinds of beasts will probably in the 

 future be found to afford valuable evidence as to 

 the regions of origin of our flowers and animals. 

 Such plants as the yarrow and the wild parsnip, 

 for instance, probably did not originate in the 

 home of the wild horse, because they are not 

 protected against it. 



" As a general rule, however, there is abun- 

 dance of evidence that plants with conspicuous 

 flowers gain a large advantage in the struggle for 

 existence, because grazing and browsing animals 

 avoid them ; while there is no real evidence at 

 all that conspicuous flowers attract insects." 



Kay Robinson extends this explanation to the 

 shape, the scent, and the nectar of flowers. He 

 admits that many flowers are adapted to the visits 

 of insects, but this is, he asserts, but a secondary 

 result. The " real, primary meaning " of the 

 shapes of flowers of curious configuration is, he 

 insists, " a deterrent to grazing or browsing 

 animals." 



According to him plants, like the snap-dragon, 

 which have " blossoms in the semblance of a 

 mouth," are avoided by grazing animals, because 

 they mistake such flowers for mouths, and have 

 no wish to be bitten! Orchids, he asserts, "are 

 strongly deterrent to grazing and browsing 

 animals, which are looking for greenstuff, and 

 regard these gaudy, spidery, winged blossoms as 



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