272 THE WONDER OF LIFE 



other. Thus many flowers depend for their polHnation 

 on the visits of quite definite insects, who, in minding their 

 own business of collecting pollen and nectar, unconsciously 

 transfer the fertihzing dust from blossom to blossom. We 

 shall return to this particular case after we have noted a 

 few other illustrations. 



Fruit-eating birds, such as thrushes, are responsible for 

 the distribution of many seeds. Many water-birds carry 

 minute animals from one watershed to another, and 

 there is indeed quite a fauna and flora of birds' feet. 

 Earthworms sometimes plant trees and the squirrel's 

 forgotten stores may serve to start a coppice. The world 

 is full of such linkages. We may refer to the role of 

 ants as a less familiar illustration. 



Ants and Seeds. — It has been known for a long time 

 that ants carry to their nests the seeds of the cow-wheat 

 (Melampyrum), and it has been suggested that in doing so 

 they labour under a ' misapprehension ', as one might say, 

 confusing them with pupae. There are some details which 

 support this view, which may have something in it. 

 Probably, however, the ants know better, and the 

 theory does them injustice. For further research has 

 shown that ants have a very marked predilection for 

 certain seeds and fruits, and carry them about for great 

 distances. 



Experiment has shown that ants are particularly fond of 

 seeds which have ' food-bodies ' or ' oil-bodies ' in their 

 coats, such as violet, bluebell, mignonette, and fumitory. 

 In many cases the ants carry the seeds to the nests, but eat 

 only the external food-bodies, so that the thrown-out seeds 

 may still germinate. Moreover, in many cases the seeds 

 are lost by the ants on their journeyiags. Prof, F. E, 



