SEEDS TRANSPORTED BY WIND. 
45 
and do not permit them to come out; but when the 
sun is bright, it shrinks the outer side of these scales, 
which then curl apart, leaving the yellow flowers ready 
for bees to visit or boys to admire and study. For several 
days the flowers of a head blossom in succession, each 
night to be snugly wrapped by the scales, and the next 
day to be again left open, if the weather be fine. After 
each flower in turn has been allowed to see the light, and 
after all have been crawled over by bee and wasp to dis- 
tribute the yellow pollen that seeds may be produced, 
there is nothing else to do but patiently wait for a week 
or two while receiving food from the mother plant to 
perfect each little fruit and seed. During all this period 
of maturing, day and night, rain or shine, the scales hold 
the cluster closely ; the stem bends over to one side, and 
the rain and dew is kept from entering. After a while, 
on some bright morning, the dandelion stalk is seen 
standing erect again, and is probably surrounded by many 
others in a similar position. The dry air shrinks the 
outside of the scales, and they turn downward ; the circle 
of feathers at the top of the slender support attached 
to the seed-like fruit below spreads out, and the com- 
munity, which now looks like a white ball of down, is 
ready for a breeze. The feathery top is now ready to 
act as a parachute, and invites the wind to catch up the 
whole and float it away. If there is no breeze, the moist 
air of night closes the outer scales ; each of the feathery 
tips closes, and all are secure till the next bright day. 
