180 BOULDER BEVERIES. 



thousand of a certain form of animal life to 

 reach maturity and perpetuate its kind upon the 

 face of earth. 



The minnow in this quiet pool, seeing my 

 shadow cast athwart the water, is not afraid of 

 me individually. It probably knows nothing of 

 man, his fish-hook or his seine. It is not able 

 to distinguish my shadow from that of a bird or 

 some piscivorous reptile or mammal. But that 

 shadow may belong to a kingfisher, a fish-hawk, 

 a mink, an otter, or some other fish-loving ver- 

 tebrate. So it instantly seeks safety in flight, 

 and hides beneath the overhanging bank, or in 

 the shadow of some friendly boulder or half 

 submerged log or stump. If it lives to a ripe 

 old age and becomes father or mother to many 

 minnows, it bequeaths to each of them this 

 wariness and alertness, in stronger form, per- 

 haps, than it possesses. Without it they would 

 be helpless, and would soon perish from these 

 placid pools, where danger is seemingly absent, 

 yet ever lurks for the unsuspecting. 



