100 ETON NATUKE-STUDY 



fertilisation. It is therefore of the greatest interest to the nature 

 student to study the means by which some plants, at any rate do 

 their best to, protect their leaves and stems, which are the parts 

 most likely to be attacked. 



The chief weapons of plants are (a) poisons, (6) prickles and 

 spines, (c) stinging hairs. 



We will give but one or two instances of each, and leave it to 

 the student himself to determine from his own observations what 

 parts of the plant are specially modified to form these defensive 

 weapons. 



POISONS 



The deadly nightshade, severely left alone by all grazing animals, 

 is nevertheless the food plant of one particular animal. What is 

 it ? Other poisonous plants are easily to be discovered and col- 

 lected. It is obvious that a knowledge of poisonous plants that 

 are to be found in pasture lands is of great importance to the 

 farmer. One of us remembers having to award a prize to the best 

 of a number of botanical essays. The prize was given for a descrip- 

 tion and collection of the poisonous plants from an English county. 



The work had necessitated the reading of many quaint old books 

 on herbs and simples,* and had evidently proved a labour of love 

 to the competitor. 



SPINES AND PRICKLES 



The gorse, blackthorn, holly, and barberry are all familiar plants. 

 In each one, however, the prickles are provided by different parts of 



* An excellent book on the legends and superstitions attaching to plants is " Folklore 

 of Plants," by Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer. 



