at the top of the funnel, which drew 

 up more from the cells below, the space 

 so caused being continually filled from 

 the base. This is an interesting experi- 

 ment and is said to solve the question, 

 but it is open to the same objection, 

 that a tree will not absorb fluid and 

 carry it for any length of time after 

 the roots are cut off. I regard it, how- 

 ever as a long stride in the right direc- 

 tion. 



To what source, then, must we look 

 for an explanation of this process? 



I think it is a fact that the small, new 

 root-fibers imbibe fluid with consider- 

 able force, but it is undoubtedly a fact 

 that they soon lose this force when de- 

 prived of the leaves; that the leaves 

 with the aid of evaporation, exert a 



great force, which the above experi- 

 ment plainly indicates; and I cannot 

 consistently dismiss the idea that cap- 

 illary attraction has something to do 

 with it. If we also add to this the the- 

 ory that the swaying of the stems and 

 branches by the wind is continually 

 changing the shape and size of the 

 cells and is thus driving the juices 

 wherever an opening will allow them 

 to travel, thus bringing the elasticity 

 of the tree to our aid, we have again 

 advanced. 



But the principle of life is not dis- 

 covered. Whenever it is we may find it 

 to be a force much greater than any 

 we have so far examined, and which 

 may even cause the overthrow of all 

 theories heretofore advanced. 



EMERSON AND THE WOODPECKER STORY. 



NO squirrel works harder at his 

 pine-nut harvest than the car- 

 penter woodpeckers in autumn 

 at their acorn harvest, says John 

 Muir in the December Atlantic, drilling 

 holes in the thick, corky bark of the 

 yellow pine and incense cedar, in which 

 to store the crop for winter use; a hole 

 for each acorn so nicely adjusted as to 

 size that when the acorn, point fore- 

 most, is driven in, it fits so well that it 

 cannot be drawn out without digging 

 around it. Each acorn is thus carefully 

 stored in a dry bin, perfectly protected 

 from the weather, a most laborious 

 method of stowing away a crop, a gran- 

 ary for each kernel. Yet they never 

 seem to weary at the work, but go on 

 so diligently they seem determined that 

 every acorn in the grove shall be saved. 

 They are never seen eating acorns at 

 the time they are storing them, and it 

 is commonly believed that they never 

 eat them or intend to eat them, but that 

 the wise birds store them and protect 

 them solely for the sake of the worms 

 they are supposed to contain. And be- 

 cause these worms are too small for use 

 at the time the acorns drop, they are 

 shut up like lean calves and steers, each 

 in a separate stall, with abundance of 

 food to grow big and fat by the time 

 they will be the most wanted, that is, in 

 winter, when insects are scarce and 



stall-fed worms most valuable. So 

 these woodpeckers are supposed to be 

 a sort of cattle-raiser, each with a 

 drove of thousands, rivaling the ants 

 that raise grain and keep herds of 

 plant lice for milk cows. Needless to 

 say, the story is not true, though some 

 naturalists even believe it. When Em- 

 erson was in the park, having heard the 

 worm story, and seen the great pines 

 plugged full of acorns, he asked (just 

 to pump me, I suppose): "Why do 

 woodpeckers take the trouble to put 

 acorns into the bark of the trees?" 

 "For the same reason," I replied, "that 

 bees store honey and squirrels nuts." 

 "But they tell me, Mr. Muir, that wood- 

 peckers don't eat acorns." "Yes they 

 do," I said. "I have seen them eating 

 them. During snowstorms they seem 

 to eat little besides acorns. I have re- 

 peatedly interrupted them at their 

 meals, and seen the perfectly sound, 

 half-eaten acorns. They eat them in 

 the shell as some people eat eggs." 

 "But what about the worms?" "I sup- 

 pose," I said, "that when they come to 

 a wormy one they eat both worm and 

 acorn. Anyhow, they eat the sound 

 ones when they can't find anything they 

 like better, and from the time they 

 store them until they are used they 

 guard them, and woe to the squirrel or 

 jay caught stealing." 



