1030 Means of Plant Dispersion. [ 
The agency of animals in carrying fruits for food is an impor 
factor in plant dispersion. They are often taken from the place: 
growth to be consumed in some other locality, or stored for 
Accident or fright may lead the animal to relax its hold, and 
fruit falls to the ground. The habit some animals have of l 
ing fruit contributes still more effectually to this end, since s€ 
will escape consumption and be securely planted for grow 
Busy rodents, apparently living for their own enjoyment, are con- 
tributing to the dissemination of their own food-plants. D 
states that earthworms are in the habit of lining their bu 
using seeds among other things, and that these sometimes 
and grow. In this way these humble animals aid in spre 
plants. ; 
This is doubtless one of the ways in which acorns are sca 
in regions of pine, which, cleared by the axe of the lumbe ) 
or destructive fire, soon yield a growth of oak, appearing eye 
spontaneously. The oaks found here and there in pine forests! 
nish the seeds; it only needs some mode of dissemination t0 
them, like the agency of animals, wind and water. In pass 
through some of the burnt districts of Michigan, I have non 
that oaks sometimes escaped destruction by withstanding & Af 
that had killed nearly every pine, whose resinous bark 
death by fire. The scattered oaks stood ready to furnish 3 
with another covering of trees, even if the ground were n 
already stocked with their germs. 
In a similar way the habits of birds are available in the 
bution of plants. Those yielding the softer fruits are ta 
pendent on them for dispersion. In the case of stone-fruits 
plums and cherries, they eat the softer parts, the seed is gem 
untouched. And birds are wont to carry the fruit away 
tree that bears it, to be eaten elsewhere. The robin, we = 
and other frugivorous birds, after plucking the dainty 
often seen to fly off with loaded beak. They may be í 
food to their young, but they are quite as apt to be sexi 
better spot for the enjoyment of their meal. In either í 
seed is scattered. And the seeds of many berries, hard 
or minute stones or nuts, pass through the alimentary 
birds and other animals undigested, and germinate 
1 Vegetable Mold and Earthworms, p. 113: 
