ANNUAL MEETING 
125 
flower is really a bunch of flowers, some hundred florets ranged 
on a flat disc. The outer rows of florets open first, then the 
inner and inner rows, ending with the centre ones. This lasts 
some days, and every evening about sunset the flower head 
closes up so as to protect the delicate florets from night dews, 
and probably from night insects. I found, however, that I 
could keep a dandelion awake all night by exposing it to the 
blaze of an Argand lamp, which prevented it going to sleep. 
When all the florets have opened, the yellow corollas shrivel 
up, the stalk lays itself down on the ground so as to be out of 
danger, and the seeds gradually mature. When they are ripe 
the flower-stalk by some mysterious instinct becomes aware of 
the fact, and raises itself so as to stand up boldly in the wind, 
which seizes the seeds by their beautiful parachutes, carries 
them off to fresh fields and pastures new, and thus enables the 
plant to sow itself in any recently turned up ground, or in any 
other suitable locality. 
Fruit and seeds are scarcely less interesting, and often hardly 
less beautiful than flowers. They present many most interest- 
ing contrivances and adaptations. I will only deal with the 
means by which they are dispersed. Some, like the dandelion, 
willow-herb, cotton, cotton-grass, &c., are provided with hairs — 
often feathered — by which the wind wafts them away. Others 
are provided with wings for the same purpose. Some, like the 
cleavers, docks, and agrimony, have burrs which are covered with 
hooks which catch in the fur of any passing quadruped. Some 
are good to eat. Many of them sacrifice themselves for the good 
of the rest. Take the hazel-nuts for instance. Thousands of 
them are eaten by squirrels, but many are dropped, or lost, and 
thus carried to a distance and enabled to sow themselves. In 
many cases, as in apples, cherries, peaches, grapes, currants, &c., 
there is a sweet and juicy flesh which is carried about and eaten, 
while the actual seeds are protected by a more or less thick crust, 
and are thrown away. In these cases it is interesting to observe 
that very often the unripe fruits are green and unattractive, 
while, when mature, they assume brilliant colours, which seem 
an invitation to the feast ! 
In some instances plants actually throw their seeds ; this 
is the case with many common herbs, with some violets, peas, 
geraniums, and many others. The distance to which they can 
be thrown is often very remarkable. I tried to ascertain this 
in the case of our common herb-robert. In the open air this 
cannot be done, for it is impossible to find the seed when once 
thrown. I therefore brought some into the house and put them 
in a glass on a table. Still I could not find them. At last, by 
spreading out a large sheet, I was able to do so, and found they 
were thrown more than twenty feet. 
Other plants sow their own seeds, for which most ingenious 
contrivances are provided. Some of our violets do so. I have 
already mentioned the dog violet as one of the plants which 
