APRIL 55 



from accidental wetting. The arbutus like 

 most flowers carries the family likeness very 

 well. One needs be but an indifferent stu- 

 dent of plant life to see that the tough stem 

 and leathery leaves hint to us, what less 

 obvious characters confirm, and to associate 

 this little plant with our much-loved rhodo- 

 dendron and laurel. Most members of the 

 family have ingenious and sometimes com- 

 plicated devices for getting the insects to 

 carry their cobwebby pollen effectively. 

 The arbutus is still in a very undecided 

 state of mind, or at least of flower, in this 

 respect. Apparently it will end up by 

 adopting the plan taken by the melons, 

 having those with stamens on the one 

 plant and pistils on the other. But it has 

 not yet quite arrived at this result. The 

 flowers vary much from each other in 

 little details, and quite commonly set no 

 seed at all, though I have found well- 

 filled pods. Hence the little plant must 

 rely chiefly on its creeping habit if it is 

 to spread and multiply. This is one of 

 several reasons why, wherever it is much 



