84 HOLLY AND MISTLETOE. 



tioii.'illy abundant on the trees, a hard winter is 

 sure to follow — the Father of nature, these chil- 

 dren of simple faith believe, intending to send a 

 severe season, provides beforehand an abuuvlant 

 supply of food-stuffs for those little pensioners of 

 his mercy, not one of Avhom falls to the ground 

 without his knowledge. Though observation 

 hardly succeeds in bearing out this graceful fancy 

 of the rustic mind, there can be no doubt that 

 holly-berries do really play their part in nature as 

 food for birds, especially during severe winters. 

 They never fall of themselves from the trees, like 

 casual seeds unintended for winged visitors to 

 feed upon, but hang there for ever unless de- 

 voured and so got rid of by the little denizens of 

 our hedges and copses. After a mild season, they 

 may be seen blackening and withering away on 

 the boughs in spring, as yet untouched, but never 

 dropping ; for the birds will eat them only when 

 other food fails through stress of frost, regarding 

 them as a last resource, like the bread and cheese 

 of the little French princess who wondered people 

 should starve rather than live upon that homely 

 diet. In fact, holly-berries are specially adapted 

 to dispersion by birds, which unconsciously aid in 

 sowing their seeds and so assisting the plant in 

 i\eeping up a fresh sup[)ly to future ages. All 

 fruits or seeds which thus appeal to the assistance 

 of winged allies are briglitly colored, very con- 



