Kay Robinsons Theory 



grazing animals. But how can the origin of the 

 colour or other characteristic be explained ? 



We asked Mr Kay Robinson how he would 

 account for the great success in the struggle for 

 existence of some species of grasses on which 

 herbivorous animals feed so largely. He replied, 

 in the issue of The Country -Side, dated April 3, 

 1909: 



" The grass has a manner of growth which 

 defies the grazing animal. Its long, thin leaves 

 are constantly pushing upwards from the ground, 

 and, if they are grazed down one day, they will 

 have pushed up again the next. Moreover, when 

 the outside blade of grass has exhausted its power 

 of growing, there is another blade inside it with 

 many inches still to grow, and another inside that 

 which has scarcely begun to grow, and yet another 

 further in which has not yet seen daylight ; and 

 so on. In a state of nature grazing animals are 

 nowhere so numerous on any given patch of 

 ground from day to day as to keep down the 

 grass. If they were, carnivorous animals would 

 stay there to eat the grazing animals, and grow 

 fat and multiply. Thus the grazing herds are 

 scattered and wandering, followed wherever they 

 go by the beasts of prey; and in their absence 

 the grass pushes ahead, so that when the grazing 

 animals return its clump is larger and its roots 

 are stronger, and it is better able to survive 

 attack than before. 



s 273 



