THE PLANT AND ITS ENEMIES 97 



destroy them, might mistake them for very formid- 

 able beetles, and thus leave them alone. In much 

 the same way the smaller seeds might be left alone 

 by grain-eating birds, under the impression that 

 they were insects. In passing, it may be pointed 

 out that in the case of these latter it might be an 

 advantage for them to be swallowed by birds, 

 provided that their external coating was able to 

 withstand the action of the digestive juices. 

 Thus the resemblance which they bear to small 

 insects would make them attractive to insectivor- 

 ous birds, and even if the winged creatures did 

 not actually swallow the seeds, they would pro- 

 bably be sufficiently interested to carry them a 

 little distance before the mistake was found 

 out. 



The good things with which the flower is 

 stored are not intended for all comers. The 

 matter is viewed in rather a different light, how- 

 ever, by certain insects who seem to regard the 

 feast as having been specially prepared for their 

 delectation. To ward off the attacks of these 

 plunderers has called for no little ingenuity on 

 the part of the plant. There is little doubt that 

 the shapes of certain flowers have been modified 

 largely for the purpose of excluding small creep- 

 ing insects. The urn-shaped blossoms of the 



H 



