Fruits and Seeds. 219 



a provision, and which probably therefore are 

 intended to take root at home. 



Mr. Drummond has described a species of Alis- 

 macece which has two sorts of seed-vessels ; the one 

 produced from large floating flowers, the other at 

 the end of short submerged stalks. He does not, 

 however, describe either the seeds or seed-vessels 

 in detail. 



3. Before concluding I will say a few words as to 

 the very curious forms presented by certain seeds 

 and fruits. The pods of Lotus, for instance, quaintly 

 resemble a bird's foot, even to the toes ; whence the 

 specific name of one species, ornithopodioides, which 

 means " like a bird's foot " ; those of Hippocrepis re- 

 mind one of a horseshoe ; those of Trapa bicornis 

 have an absurd resemblance to the skeleton of a 

 bull's head. These likenesses appear to be acci- 

 dental, but there are some which probably are of use 

 to the plant. For instance, there are two species of 

 Scorpiurus (fig. 87) , the pods of which lie on the 

 ground, and so curiously resemble, the one (fig. 87, a) 

 a centipede, the other (fig. 87, &) a worm or cater- 

 pillar, that it is almost impossible not to suppose 

 that the likeness must be of some use to the plant. 



The pod of a kind of Biserrula (fig. 88) also 

 has a striking resemblance to a flattened centipede ; 

 while the seeds of Abrus, both in size and in their 

 very striking colour, mimic a small beetle, Artemis 

 circumusta. 



4. Mr. Moore has recently called attention to other 



