Vegetable and Animal 
We shall only mention Rafflesia patma of Java, for 
its method of seed distribution is ambitious and yet 
very simple. This is a parasite which grows in the 
forests on the projecting roots of certain vines (Cissus). 
The enormous flowers (18 inches across) are con- 
spicuous enough in the dark atmosphere of the jungle. 
The plant consists of practically nothing except this 
flower and a short root which burrows into the Cissus 
and extracts all the nourishment required. 
When the huge flower decays, it forms a sticky pulpy 
mass “like broth,” and full of seeds. An elephant 
strolling through the forest will step in it, and will, 
of course, naturally scrape its feet against the next con- 
veniently projecting Cissus root which it happens to 
encounter.” The seed will therefore have a good chance 
of establishing itself on it. 
Perhaps the next most interesting example is formed 
by those plants which employ ants to carry their seeds 
from one place to another. 
It is only but recently, in consequence of the minute 
observations of Sernander, that we have begun to realise 
how important these insects may be. To one nest 
it was found that 366 seeds were brought in during 
nineteen hours (156 of Melica, 69 Cowwheat, 31 Luzula, 
28 Hepatica, 25 Carex pilosa, &c.). Along a path used 
by the ants he marked out a square yard, and found 
that twenty-eight seeds were dropped in it. Some of 
the seeds were carried seventy yards and more. 
It is no doubt in order to induce the ants to carry 
them that one finds these curious little swellings on 
the seeds of Chionodoxa (Glory-of-the-snow) and the 
snowdrop, or the little ridge at the foot of the fruit of 
the corn bluebottle (Centaurea cyanus). The unusual 
fact that the white dead nettle secretes sugar after the 
petals have fallen off is at once understood by its being 
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