THE CONVICT TRAIL 199 



honey might dry up, the stamens rain to the 

 earth and the glory of Tyrian rose pass into the 

 dull hues of decay. 



Day after day as we watched this kaleidoscope 

 of vegetable and avian hues, we came to know 

 more intimately the units which formed the 

 mass. There were at least fifteen species and 

 all had peculiarities of flight and plumage so 

 marked that they soon became recognizable at 

 sight. 



After our eyes had become accustomed to 

 specific differences in these atoms of birds we 

 began to notice the eccentricities of individuals. 

 This was made easy by the persistence with 

 which certain birds usurped and clung to favor- 

 ite perches. One glowing hermit clad in resplen- 

 dent emerald armor selected a bare twig on a 

 nearby shrub and from there challenged every 

 hummer that came in sight; whether larger, 

 smaller or of his own kind made no difference. 

 He considered the cashew trees as his own spe- 

 cial property and as far as his side of them went 

 he made good his claim. I have never seen such 

 a concentration of virile combative force in so 

 condensed a form. 



In some such way as vultures concentrate 



