:::::::3x. TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO >*::::::::: 



leagues o£ magueij — enough of the latter, one would 

 think, to provide the whole world with delirium tre- 

 mens. Birds became much more numerous. Cowbirds, 

 in dense, compact flocks of a thousand of more, rose 

 and whirled away in unison, and almost every good- 

 sized tree had a Shrike perched on the topmost branch. 

 The line of Sparrow Hawks on the telegraph wires was 

 unbroken, about one to every eighth pole. They 

 showed not the slightest fear of the passing train, and 

 left their perch only when some large insect or small 

 bird rose near by. Twice we saw them attack Cow- 

 birds almost as large as themselves, the two falling, 

 fiercely struggling, to the ground. We were told by 

 an engineer who was an accurate observer of birds 

 that occasionally these valiant little hawks were over- 

 come by birds of greater strength than themselves, 

 which they had fearlessly attacked. 



The momentary glimpse of some small ponds showed 

 a vast assemblage of ducks and wading birds and made 

 us impatient for our journey's end. We found the 

 Mexicans more and more interesting, and each little 

 station offered something new. Blind musicians, who 

 twanged guitars strung with eighteen strings, and 

 chanted Paloma and other odd-timed Mexican or 

 Spanish songs, were led beneath the windows. We 

 were astonished to hear them all join at the end in 

 screaming the melody of " After the Ball is Over," 

 and we wondered how that time-worn tune could have 



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