304 Friends and Foes 



ally speaking, what is new and strange that they 

 mistrust and avoid. 



This fact was strikingly illustrated on one occasion 

 by a bear in the Jardin des Plantes, one of certain 

 victims whom it was found necessary to despatch. A 

 bun dipped in prussic acid was offered to this bear, 

 and was graciously accepted ; but Bruin quickly 

 decided that there was something not quite satis- 

 factory about it. He was familiar with buns, but this 

 was not an ordinary bun, and therefore might be mis- 

 chievous, so he dropped it into the water and prudently 

 allowed it to soak until the strange smell was 

 gone. 



In a similar way, cattle imported and turned out to 

 feed in strange pastures are said usually to avoid 

 poisonous plants, not because they are poisonous, but 

 because they are strange, and therefore to be doubted. 



When they have attained a fair size most plants can 

 well afford to have some of their leaves eaten ; but if 

 no blossems are left the plant dies without successors, 

 and this, in many cases at least, is not to be desired. 

 Accordingly we find that, as a rule, blossoms are 

 avoided by all animals, including even caterpillars, 

 which would rather die of hunger than eat the blossom 

 of the very plant whose leaves are their favourite food. 

 Earwigs, indeed, are less particular, and are given to 

 biting dahlias ; and whatever wild rabbits may do, 

 tame ones often begin with the blossom of poppies and 

 succory, as if it were a choice morsel. 



Plants are protected against indiscriminate con- 

 sumption in a variety of ways : by being unpleasant 

 in flavour or poisonous, by the toughness and hardness 

 of their foliage, by prickles and by thorns, sometimes 



