236 THE STRUGGLE FOB THE LIFE OF OTHERS. 



of the insect world. Many flowers are so small and 

 inconspicuous that insects might not condescend to 

 notice them. But Altruism is always inventive. In- 

 stead of dispersing their tiny florets over the plant, 

 these club together at single points, so that by the 

 multitude of numbers an imposing show is made. 

 Each of the associating flowers in these cases pre- 

 serves its individuality, and — as we see in the Elder or 

 the Hemlock — continues to grow on its own flower 

 stalk. But in still more ingenious species the part- 

 ners to a floral advertisement sacrifice their separate 

 stems and cluster close together on a common head. 

 The Thistle, for example, is not one flower, but a 

 colony of flowers, each complete in all its parts, but 

 all gaining the advantage of conspicuousness by dense- 

 ly packing themselves together. In the Sun-flowers 

 and many others the sacrifice is carried still further. 

 Of the multitude of florets clustered together to form 

 the mass of color, a few cease the development of the 

 reproductive organs altogether, and allow their whole 

 strength to go towards adding visibility to the mass. 

 The florets in the centre of the group, packed close 

 together, are unable to do anything in this direction ; 

 but those on the margin expand the perianth into a 

 blazing circle of flame, and leave the deep work of 

 Reproduction to those within. What are the advan- 

 tages gained by all this mutual aid ? That it makes 

 them the fittest to survive. These Co-operative 

 Plants are among the most numerous, most vigorous, 

 and most widely diffused in Nature. Self-sacrifice 

 and Co-operation are thus recognized as sound in 

 principle. The blessing of Nature falls upon them. 

 The words themselves, in any more than a merely 



