MANUAI, 0I^ NATURE STUDV. 129 



through the winter ? Can the seed of the syca- 

 more be better protected on the tree ? How ? 



Protection against animals should here be dis- 

 cussed. Illustrations of these may be found in all 

 fruits covered with thorns, prickles, and spines. 



Examples: — Thornapple, or Jimpson burr, cockle 

 burr, chestnut, sand burr, beggar lice. 



2. North American pine bears cones, the scales 

 of which are pointed with sharp spines, which de- 

 fend the seeds against the attacks of animals, until 

 the seed ripens and falls. 



3. Wild roses retain their fruit upon the bushes 

 long after maturity, when they are distributed by 

 black birds and other birds that prey upon the 

 pulp. Mice love the fruit very much and, if per- 

 mitted to do so, would eat the heart out of every 

 seed. But the rose bush has thorns or prickles all 

 along the bark so as to prevent any of the rodents 

 from climbing after the seed. If the rose bush 

 should drop its seeds early, what dangers would be- 

 fall them? 



4. The sun-flower seeds are protected from in- 

 truders by prickly bristles covering the stalk from 

 bottom to top. How about black berries ? In all 

 these cases which way do the prickles point? If 

 upward they seem to protect against browsing 

 animals; if downward, against climbing animals 

 and caterpillars. How are pods, as bean or pea, 



