INGENUITY IN VARIATION 137 



Since these coconut palms grow, usually, 

 along the water's edge, the nuts sometimes fall 

 into a brook, a river, or the ocean and float 

 away. 



Once detached from the tree and started on 

 such a journey, the eyes disclose their purpose. 

 One of them throws out a system of roots, not 

 on the inside of the hard shell, but growing at 

 first within the woody fiber between the shell and 

 the outside covering. 



These nuts may float in the water, even salt 

 water, for thousands of miles, while strong, vig- 

 orous roots are forming on the inside of the cov- 

 ering among the excelsiorlike packing. 



Once landed, after weeks, perhaps, of travel, 

 the roots cast anchor by forcing themselves out 

 into the moist soil at the water's edge. Two or 

 three sturdy leaves soon appear, and so the new 

 plant is established in its new home. 



The hard shell surrounding the stored-up 

 milk in the coconut is there obviously as a pro- 

 tection from the monkeys and other animals ; to 

 prevent extermination through their liking for 

 the milk and the meat. 



And that excelsior packing, and waterproof 

 housing, are not these very plainly the palm's at- 

 tempt to provide for its baby tree in its new 

 environment? 



