54 ON THE WINGS OF THE WIND. 



for rapid or popular classification. Indeed, among the 

 composites alone the thistle and dandelion tribe with 

 downy fruits I can reckon up more than a hundred 

 and fifty distinct variations of plan among the winged 

 seeds known to me in various parts of Europe. But if I 

 am strong, I am merciful : I will let the public off with 

 a hundred and forty-eight of them. My two exceptions 

 shall be John-go-to-bed-at-noon and the hairy hawk weed, 

 both of them common English meadow-plants. The 

 first, and more quaintly named, of the two has little- 

 ribbed fruits that end in a long and narrow beak, 

 supporting a radial rib-work of spokes like the frame of 

 an umbrella ; and from rib to rib of this frame-work 

 stretch feathery cross-pieces, continuous all round, so as 

 to make of the whole mechanism a perfect circular para- 

 chute, resembling somewhat the web of a geometrical 

 spider. But the hairy hawkweed is still more cunning 

 in its generation ; for that clever and cautious weed pro- 

 duces its seeds or fruits in clustered heads, of which the 

 central ones are winged, while the outer are heavy, squat, 

 and wingless. Thus does the plant make the best of all 

 chances that may happen to open before it : if one lot 

 goes far and fares but ill, the other is pretty sure to score 

 a bull's-eye. 



These are only a few selected examples of the infinite 

 dodges employed by enlightened herbs and shrubs to 

 propagate their scions in foreign parts. Many more, 

 equally interesting, must be left undescribed. Only for 

 a single case more can I still find room that of the 

 subterranean clover, which has been driven by its 

 numerous enemies to take refuge at last in a very 



