PLANTS THAT HIDE FROM ANIMALS 265 



ing the human eye. Still another case can be cited : On the coast 

 of the Philippines a certain bush has beans resembling pebbles in 

 size, form, color, hardness and with lines '' suggesting stratifica- 

 tion." " Undoubtedly this mimicy of pebbles has saved many a 

 seed from destruction by fish, bird or reptile," Here again we 

 must doubt until some one gives us more than imaginary basis 

 for faith in this suggestion of mimicry in seeds. We must know 

 first whether the seeds are effectively concealed from animals, and 

 second, whether in each supposed case animals would actually 

 eat the seeds if not mixed '' concealed " in pebbles. What ani- 

 mals, for example, might be expected to be so foolish as to eat 

 the pebble-like seeds from the Philippines. 



The climax is the case of an iris of the far Western States. Its 

 ripe seeds are said to rattle in the pods and imitate the rattle 

 of the rattlesnake so closely that grazing animals invariably step 

 back after hitting the pods, '' and thus the green leaves of the 

 plants are spared to work for future crop of seeds." Here is a 

 difficulty in this case : The ripe seeds rattle only when mature, 

 and hence during the long growing season there is no such '' pro- 

 tection " to the leaves. Also — we ask for information — do the 

 leaves actually remain and ''work " for a next year's crop of 

 seed? The whole case looks like a splendid flight of a naturalist's 

 imagination. 



On the whole, then, the interesting suggestions that plants hide 

 from animals do not well stand testing. Real evidence does not 

 support most of the cases imagined. Perhaps there are adapta- 

 tions for hiding plants from animals, but the evidence is decidedly 

 rare, and certainly not convincing. 



This paper has been reviewed in considerable detail because it 

 happens to represent a kind of teaching common in our elementary 

 schools. We need more critical studies of all supposed relations 

 of animals and plants. It is hoped that readers of this magazine 

 will contribute notes on their own observations. 



Maurice A. Bigelow. 



