THE VICTORY OF THE NIGHTHAWK 



time is not far distant when the bottom' 

 A of the sea will be the only place where 

 primeval wildness will not have been denied or 

 destroyed by man. He may sail his ships above, 

 he may peer downward, even dare to descend a 

 few feet in a suit of rubber or a submarine boat, 

 or he may scratch a tiny furrow for a few yards 

 with a dredge : but that is all. 



When that time comes, the animals and birds 

 which survive will be only those which have found 

 a way to adapt themselves to man's encroaching, 

 all-pervading civilisation. The time was when 

 our far-distant ancestors had, year in and year 

 out, to fight for very existence against the wild 

 creatures about them. They then gained the 

 upper hand, and from that time to the present 

 the only question has been, how long the wild 

 creatures of the earth could hold out. 



The wolf, the bison, the beaver fought the bat- 

 tle out at once to all but the bitter end. The 

 crow, the muskrat, the fox have more than held 

 their own, by reason of cunning, hiding or quick- 

 ness of sight; but they cannot hope for this to 

 last. The English sparrow has won by sheer 

 audacity ; but most to be admired are those crea- 

 tures which have so changed their habits that 



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