150 NATURE TEACHING. 



about and the seeds often thrown or sprinkled 

 to a considerable distance. It will be easily 

 understood that this is preferable to having 

 the openings at the bottom, for in the latter 

 case the seeds would simply fall through a.nd 

 a dense growth of seedlings spring up im- 

 mediately around the parent plant. The 

 'thistle' (Argemone) and tobacco afford good 

 examples. The seeds in such seed-cases 

 which are open above would be liable to be 

 damaged by rain, and we often find that 

 this is guarded against. Thus in some fruits 

 the openings are very small, whilst other 

 fruits only open in dry weather, closing again 

 when it is wet. 



4. Water-borne fruits. The fruit of the 

 cocoa-nut with its tough fibrous covering, is 

 able to float long distances without damage. 

 The cocoa-nut palm is now found on almost 

 all tropical shores and is one of the first plants 

 to reach new coral islands, which may be many 

 miles from the nearest land. The seeds or 

 fruits of several South American plants are 

 often found on the shores of the West Indian 

 islands, and, through the agency of the .Gulf 

 Stream, not infrequently reach Europe. 



5. Animals; Many fruits are provided 

 with hooks and spines whereby they become 



