632 Marvels of the Universe 
Photo bu) [Hugh Main, B.Sc., FES. 
WINGED SEEDS. 
The seeds and scales of the Fir-cone. Notice the 
marks on the scales showing the position in which 
the winged seeds are stored away, and the curved 
edges which prevent the unripe seed falling out 
from the cone. 
Photo bu [Z. Step, F.L.S. 
WINGED SEEDS. 
The seeds of Sabine’s Pine. All seeds of coni- 
fers have no special envelope to protect them when 
they have escaped from the cones. 
WINGED SEEDS 
BY SIR HERBERT MAXWELL, F.R.S. 
THE three necessary conditions for the development of 
plant-life are space, light and fresh ground in which 
the matured seed may germinate. To obtain these 
necessities the seed must travel some distance from the 
parent plant before its fall to the ground. One of the 
methods of travelling is by means of wings, and the 
seeds of many plants are, therefore, furnished with a 
strong membrane, which spreads out from the actual 
seed, and is large enough to take advantage of 
the wind to carry the precious freight beyond the 
baneful influence of the parent stem. 
The race of pine-trees spend two or three years in 
building splendidly protective fortresses round their 
seeds ; but if all the cones of a pine were to fall at its 
foot with the seeds within them, the mountain could 
never be clad with forest; wherefore each seed, 
escaping when ripe from the cone, is provided with a 
beautiful membranous wing, upon which it is wafted, 
sometimes to a great distance, on the chance of alight- 
ing on a vacant piece of ground. 
In most species of pine the cone opens of itself and 
releases the ripe seeds ; after which the seeds soon lose 
their vitality if they do not find a spot favourable for 
germination. But Bishop’s Pine (Pimus muricata) forms 
a singular exception to this habit. Although this tree 
is a native of the hot coast of California, the sun has 
no power to cause the cone to open, nor will it do so 
until forced to gape by the heat of a forest fire. This 
may not occur except at long intervals ; accordingly 
the cones persist on the branches for an indefinite 
number of years (I have seen living cones unopened 
after forty years), waiting for the necessary conflagration 
to enable the still living seeds to fly forth on their 
inch-long wings. In 1907, Mr. J. Trotter succeeded 
in raising seedlings from an old cone which he detached 
from the branch and caused to open by putting it in 
an oven. 
Bishop’s Pine exhibits another feature strongly sug- 
gestive of intelligent design. Most pine-trees, those, at 
least, which part soon and easily with their cones, are 
satisfied to protect the seeds by building strong, 
imbricated, wooden walls around them. But cones 
that may be exposed for twenty or thirty years to the 
attacks of rodent animals or strong-beaked birds 
require additional defence ; consequently the cones of 
