Pines and Their Kindred 



211 



there is little to eat in the snow-clad fields, these 

 berries are a blessing to the birds. 



Cone-bearing trees send their seeds forth in 

 care of their old friend, the wind. After the seeds 

 in the cones have ripened, the resin dries away, 

 and the scales, in most cases, draw apart. Thus 



Fig. s8. Cone of a pitch pine. 



the wind can find the seeds, which are winged for 

 a long flight ( Fig. 58). 



But cones do not open directly their seeds are 

 ready to fly away. Indeed, cones filled with ripe 

 seeds may look quite green. The seeds under the 

 scales are " laying low " like Brer Rabbit. 



When the little hard seeds which birds are to 

 sow get ripe, the fruits which contain them make 

 themselves seen by putting on some conspicuous 

 color. Their best plan is to get eaten. 



