LIVING IN OUR ENVIRONMENT 37 



them on which to grow tiny fungi ; colorless plants that 

 cannot make their own food. The fungi, not the leaves, 

 are used as food by the ants. The habit some animals 

 have of feigning death is one method of protection. 

 Many birds which look like their surroundings will keep 

 absolutely quiet on the approach of an enemy, thus 

 escaping notice. Some animals can even change their 

 colors or the markings on their bodies to blend with 

 their surroundings. Man himself shows many examples 

 of such adaptive acts. Have you ever thought that if 

 babies did not instinctively suck soon after they are born, 

 they could not live ? Our lives depend on this one adap- 

 tive act. Can you think of any others ? 



Man, the Only Animal That Can Adapt His Environment 

 to Suit Himself. We can find many examples of adapta- 

 tion to the environment in plants and animals, but man 

 alone seems able to change his environment to suit him- 

 self. We know that desert plants will not live long in the 

 water and water-loving plants will soon die if placed in a 

 hot, dry place. Sheep having long wool when transferred 

 to a hot country like Cuba soon die, because the long wool 

 unfits them for life in the hot, moist climate. But if man 

 has to change his place of living from a cool to a hot 

 climate, he dresses differently. In other words, he adapts 

 himself to the new conditions. Some animals and plants 

 can do this to a degree if the changes are gradually made ; 

 thus they may become slowly accustomed to changes in 

 environment. But man is constantly changing his envi- 

 ronment for the better. Look at what science has done 

 to make living conditions more comfortable. We move 

 from cold climates to warm ones by means of automobiles, 

 railroads, steamships, or airplanes. We have fruits and 

 vegetables at all times during the year because of refrigera- 

 tion and cold storage. We are able to eat foods which 

 were grown thousands of miles away because of rapid 



