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ALLIES OF THE PLANT WORLD<br />
Primrose, Cowslip and Polyanthus, <strong>of</strong>ten car-<br />
ried by insects, is deeply furrowed, covered<br />
with spines and knobs, strung together by sticky<br />
threads and, in other ways, provided with ap-<br />
paratus which enables it to adhere to any ob-<br />
ject which it touches.<br />
The pollen <strong>of</strong> the Hollyhock and the Dande-<br />
lion consists <strong>of</strong> large, beautiful, spherical grains<br />
covered with spikes. The Rhododendrons,<br />
Azalias, and Fuchias produce great masses <strong>of</strong><br />
grains bound together by viscid threads. Many<br />
<strong>of</strong> these bits <strong>of</strong> life-principle are geometric mas-<br />
terpieces. A pollen grain <strong>of</strong> the Cobaea Scan-<br />
dens is one <strong>of</strong> the most fascinating objects <strong>of</strong><br />
the microscopic world. It is perfectly spheri-<br />
cal and cut into small hexagonal facets like the<br />
eyes <strong>of</strong> a fly. Grains <strong>of</strong> pollen <strong>of</strong> all kinds vary<br />
between one two-thousandth and one two-hun-<br />
dredth <strong>of</strong> an inch in diameter.<br />
Alliances between <strong>plants</strong> and birds are more<br />
important than we imagine. The tropical<br />
Humming-birds and the eastern Sun-birds are<br />
in habits exactly like the pollen-carrying in-<br />
sects. To watch one <strong>of</strong> these brilliantly col-<br />
oured creatures hovering over a flower or flying<br />
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