British Amphibians : Newts 



Its feebleness had come upon it unknown to itself, for 

 such is the kindness of Nature. The old mare had not 

 even the energy to move from the plague of flies that 

 buzzed around its head. Bones and flesh fail, and 

 energy becomes dull and languid. Even the great 

 iron shaft of an engine gets c< tired " as the years roll 

 on. " Tired " is the word. There is no other name 

 so expressive of frailty. The iron beam may revolve 

 for years as a perfect piece of mechanism, and, without 

 any visible flaw or external sign the shaft will snap in 

 twain "tired.'* The engineer, when asked for a 

 reason why such a solid piece of metal should 

 break without any apparent cause, can only use the 

 word cc tired." No other explanation can be given. 

 Just so with Nature. Nature gets tired at times. 

 Great trees will snap in the forest that are sound at 

 heart, while " blown " timber often outrides a gale. 

 Old age, strenuous activity, constant action, brings 

 4 'tire" some day when least expected. That herd- 

 boy's grandfather was ninety-six years of age ; I met 

 him that same evening, and he, too, was tired. He 

 confided in me that the best time to catch Newts was 

 when they were pairing. He said they were tamer in 

 disposition at such a time, and would allow anyone to 

 approach them then. He had caught them on the 

 common eighty years ago, as a boy, and kept them 

 alive for several years in succession. He had even 

 sent live specimens to London in boxes, via the mail- 

 coach, and they had arrived safely. Of late years he 



63 



