254 NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS. 



light and feathery as possible. This is solely to aid in the dispersion of the 

 seed. , , 



In the goatsbeard this coronet is placed on top of a long beak to con- 

 tract the weight of the seed. 



Ths coronet of ths daiidslion is placed on a pedicile and is much used 

 as a clock by small children. 



The down of the thistle is sessil and is at times plumed like a feather. 

 The coronet of the Carolina thistle is remarkable for its elegance and spread 

 of plumage. The down of the milkweed is long and silky and is also 

 sessil. 



In direct opposition to these, the coronet of the blue bottle seed is of 

 stiff, hairy bristles indented with hooks. This does rot aid the plant in its 

 flying excursions, but directs and hastens its descent to the ground. 



In the Canada thistle the whole plant breaks off on a level with the 

 ground, and drifts across the prairie till it piles up in drifts against the fen- 

 ces. The coronet of hairs is not the only means. Often the side wall of 

 the ovary expands and form wings which reach their highest development in 

 the trumpet flower, where they are three or four inches long, on which the 

 seed floats about like a butterfly. 



Many spiny fruits are found In the vegetable world, and it is evident 

 that these rigid spines aid much in their distribution. The name caltrops 

 has been applied to many of these. One of these, the Tribulus terristris is 

 widely distributed on account of the way it clings to the wool of animals. It 

 has an elegant star like form with very rigid spines. 



We are familiar with the way in which the burs of the burdock, an- 

 other member ol this family, cling to our clothing. Others of this family 

 are beggars ticks cleavers, and grapnel 'plant. One lately found in South Amer- 

 ica is said, by Frank Buckland, to have been purposely created to stick in 

 the tails of horses and buffaloes. The horns of this species are about seven 

 i.iches long. It is easy to see how members of this family are transported, 

 but I think it would be harder to see how they are able to stay at rest. 



To take a paragraph from Sharpeyes, speaking of this family it says, 

 " There are those queer grown, flat jointed affairs, for instance, that stick 

 closer than a brother, either in pieces or in strings and broken chains in ell 

 sorts of devices. What was their history, how have they fallen from grace? 

 There is a whole troop of them which are populaily supposed to belong to 

 the same chain gang, but there are at least a half a djzen species among them 

 and a little study will enable us to distinguish them. I will not attempt to, 

 as they are all sinneis and mostly black sheep from premising and comely 

 ancestors." 



