PLANTS THAT HIDE FROM ANIMALS 263 



parts of the first four plants named, even if dug out and placed 

 conveniently ; and as for artichokes and potatoes and other plants 

 with edible underground parts, the ordinary domesticated pig 

 has no difficulty in finding the parts '* concealed " beneath the 

 soil. In general, it is certain that the rodents are not fooled by 

 such devices. At a certain experimental forest plantation in Con- 

 necticut it is said that squirrels and other rodents dig up a large 

 percentage of the planted nuts and also dig down and gnaw the 

 tender roots. In Europe dogs and pigs are trained to hunt 

 truffles. 



Similar examples are easy to recall, and we may seriously 

 doubt whether rootstocks, tubers and similar underground struc- 

 tures have any significance in relation to concealment from ani- 

 mals. Were animals guided by sight alone, we might be more 

 credulous ; but just as in the question of protective colors, we must 

 not forget the highly developed sense of smell against which a 

 few inches of soil offers little concealment for an object in which 

 animals have special interest. If one must draw some conclusion 

 as to the relation between the plant and the animals in such cases, 

 it would be more reasonable to say that the rootstocks and tubers 

 are concealed beneath the soil in order to preserve them for 

 winter use of certain animals which have no difficulty in finding 

 them when wanted. Of course this is an absurd suggestion ; but 

 until we get more specific and conclusive evidence, it is no more 

 so than the idea that plants concentrated beneath ground are espe- 

 cially protected from animals. Does any reader know of any 

 plant which animals commonly eat which is demonstrably so 

 protected ? 



The next method of protection is by water. " Mud turtles, cer- 

 tain fishes, water snails, larvae of insects, eat aquatic plants, but 

 most other animals are unable to reach them in such places." As 

 examples are cited : pond lilies, arrow-head, pickerel-weed, cat- 

 tail flag, bulrush and many others. Again one doubts and asks 

 the question. What animals unable to reach these aquatic plants 

 would eat them even if they were accessible? The reviewer has 

 for many summers noticed many of these plants growing along 

 the margin of a shallow stream where these plants were accessible 

 to the ordinary domesticated herbivores, but even when other 

 pasturage was extremely sho/t the aquatic plants were rarely 

 touched, even when young and tender. Of course such a plant 



