208 FIELD NOTES IN SEED TIME. 



winged grains go sailing through the air like the 

 flight of insects. Here, too, are hooks, barbs and 

 prickles that cling to the dress of passers-by or to 

 the hairs of cattle, and thus are carried away to be 

 rubbed off and deposited in some other locality. 

 Other seeds artfully hide themselves in luscious, 

 brilliant wrappings that the birds may be attracted 

 to them. Strawberries, raspberries, and the early 

 drupes have scattered their seeds by this process ; 

 but the various cornels, honeysuckles, greenber- 

 ries, rose and spice bushes, the bright red fruit- 

 clusters of the winter-berry, the purple panicles 

 of the prim, that feast the eyes of the autumn 

 rambler, are still waiting patiently for the snows to 

 put an embargo on other supplies near the ground. 

 The outcrop of conglomerate yonder is beauti- 

 fully variegated with the different shades of moss 

 and lichen green. From its base spring wreaths 

 of fronds of the evergreen rock-fern. It is the 

 only species hereabouts that does not fade with the 

 year. How regularly the cinnamon-colored fruit- 

 dots are disposed on the under surface of the pin- 

 nules, as if by artificial design ! These are the 

 only flowers such plants are capable of producing. 

 The simple magnifier is not of sufficient power to 

 disclose the wonderful structure of these minute 



