atches, and by pigeons, before the latter
became nearly extinct. Woodpeckers and blue jays place beechnuts and
small acorns in the crevices of bark on standing trees. If left there
very long, the nuts will become too dry to grow, but in the act of
transporting them some of the nuts may be accidentally dropped in
various places.

39. Do birds digest all they eat?--To determine whether seeds would
lose their vitality in passing through the digestive organs of birds,
Kerner von Marilaun fed seeds of two hundred and fifty different
species of plants to each of the following: blackbird, song thrush,
robin, jackdaw, raven, nutcracker, goldfinch, titmouse, bullfinch,
crossbill, pigeon, fowl, turkey, duck, and a few others; also to
marmot, horse, ox, and pig, making five hundred and twenty separate
experiments. As to the marmot, horse, ox, and pig, almost all the
fruits and seeds were destroyed. From the ox grew a very few seeds
of millet, and from the horse one or two lentils and a few oats; from
the pig a species of dogwood, privet, mallow, radish, and common
locust. Under ordinary conditions, no seed was found to germinate
after passing through the turkey, hen, pigeon, crossbill, bullfinch,
goldfinch, nutcracker, titmouse, and the duck. Ravens and jackdaws
passed without injury seeds of stone fruits and others with very hard
coats. Of seeds that passed through the blackbird 75 per cent
germinated, 85 per cent in the case of the thrush, 80 per cent in
the case of the robin.[4]

[Footnote 4: It should be noted that the blackbird here mentioned
is not the same as either of our blackbirds, but a thrush much like
our robin; that the robin mentioned is a ground warbler nearly related
to our bluebird. It should also be noted that jackdaws, ravens,
thrushes, and probably many others eject thousands of seeds by the
mouth for one which passes through the intestines.]

40. Color, odor, and pleasant taste of fruits are advertisements.--In
summer, buds are formed on bushes of black raspberry, blossoms appear,
and these are followed by small, green, and bitter berries, which
hardly anything cares to eat. They grow slowly, become soft and pulpy,
and finally good to eat. How is bird or boy or girl to know where
they are and when they are fit to eat? The plant has enterprise and
has displayed two want advertisements by painting the berries first
dark red, and then dark purple, when they are good to eat. But is
the plant made expressly to