THE BEAUTIES OF THE AUTUMN. 165 



few years, comparatively speaking, would suffice 

 to stock the entire world, if each individual born 

 could live and propagate its kind. The few 

 organisms that do survive the perils and the 

 dangers of existence are invariably those best 

 adapted to the conditions of their life, and the 

 ones most fitted to enjoy and propagate it. Thus, 

 then, we see that this eternal warfare and this 

 -enormous mortality is an essential condition of 

 existence, and only tends to exalt the life which 

 is left. 



Perhaps at no other time of the year is 

 Nature's lavishness of production so apparent as 

 during the autumn months. Take birds as an 

 instance. Flock after flock and family after 

 family of these creatures fill the woods and fields, 

 the moorlands and the shore. The majority of 

 these feathered hosts are young birds, the produce 

 of the spring and summer. When we see them 

 all so full of life and activity now, we cannot 

 refrain from musing over the fate that awaits 

 them. Ere the spring-time dawns again, by far 

 the greater number of these young birds will be 

 dead ; they will fall victims to the countless perils 

 of their existence, some time during the coming 

 winter. Only a few favoured ones will survive 

 the fleet of wing, the strong of constitution, the 

 wary, and those best adapted in every way to 

 compete in the struggle for life. Nature is in- 

 exorably severe ; she abhors the ailing and the 

 weakly, these are the first to perish. By these 



