THE SUMMIT OF THE YEARS 



wound up for a day, or a month, or a year. It was 

 never wound up, and it will never run down, and it 

 strikes only the hours of eternity. But here I am in 

 deep waters, quite over my head. Follow any of 

 these little rills of natural history and they will lead 

 you sooner or later to larger questions and thence 

 to the boundless sea. 



The adaptiveness of animal life, and one may say 

 of vegetable life also, is a subject of deep interest. 



In the dry streamless valleys on Cape Verde 

 Islands, Darwin saw a kingfisher that lived on grass- 

 hoppers and lizards, diving for them in the true 

 kingfisher fashion. Doubtless our own kingfisher, 

 under the force of circumstances, might adapt him- 

 self to such a mode of life. 



The beasts and birds that are most adaptive in 

 the matter of food thrive best. If the quail could 

 learn to subsist upon tree-buds as does the grouse, 

 it would not perish as it now does during our 

 winters of deep snow. What a success the crow 

 is! And to what does he owe it more than to his 

 adaptiveness in regard to food? Grain, nuts, worms, 

 insects, fish, frogs, eggs, grubs, mice, and things 

 still more unsavory each and all help him through 

 the season. The hawks are restricted to flesh alone, 

 hence their comparatively limited numbers. 



I suppose we always attribute much more thought 

 and purpose to the animals than they are capable 

 of. We do not realize what automatons they are. 

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