birds until they dropped upon the ground and 

 began fighting. Let a crow join a feeding group 

 of its fellows, and there will be considerable caw- 

 ing ; even a sparrow, coming into a flock, will 

 create some chirping : but there was not so much 

 as the twist of a neck when a new buzzard joined 

 or left this assemblage. Each bird sat as if he 

 were at the center of the Sahara Desert, as 

 though he existed alone, with no other buzzard 

 on the earth. 



There was no hurry, no excitement anywhere ; 

 even the struggle on the ground was measured 

 and entirely wooden. None of the creatures on 

 the fence showed any haste to fall to feeding. 

 After alighting they would go through the long 

 process of folding up their wings and packing 

 them against their sides ; then they would sit 

 awhile as if trying to remember why they had 

 come here rather than gone to any other place. 

 Occasionally one would unfold his long wings by 

 sections, as you would open a jointed rule, pause 

 a moment with them outstretched, and, with a 

 few ponderous flaps, sail off into the sky without 

 having tasted the banquet. Then another upon 

 the ground, having feasted, would run a few 

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