40 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 
ulary, or both). Evolution has left no chink or 
crevice unfilled, unoccupied, no probability un- 
tried, no possibility unachieved. 
The nearest weed suggested this trend of 
thought and provided all I could desire of ex- 
amples; but the thrill of discovery and the artistic 
delight threatened to disturb for the time my 
solemn application of these ponderous truisms. 
The weed alongside had had a prosperous life, 
and its leaves were fortunate in the unadulterated 
sun and rain to which they had access. At the 
summit all was focusing for the consummation of 
existence: the little blossoms would soon open 
and have their one chance. To all the winds of 
heaven they would fling out wave upon wave of 
delicate odor, besides enlisting a subtle form of 
vibration and refusing to absorb the pink light 
—thereby enhancing the prospects of insect vis- 
itors, on whose coming the very existence of this 
race of weeds depended. 
Every leaf showed signs of attack: scallops 
cut out, holes bored, stains of fungi, wreaths of 
moss, and the insidious mazes of leaf-miners. 
But, like an old-fashioned ship of the line which 
wins to port with the remnants of shot-ridden 
sails, the plant had paid toll bravely, although un- 
