142 WILD NEIGHBORS CHaP. 



big grazers — the buffaloes, deer, antelope and, 

 later, the wild horses — came the bears, the puma, 

 the jaguar, wild-cats, and wolves, none of which 

 despised more humble prey in moments of hunger; 

 while the birds, reptiles, and lesser mammals were 

 incessantly pursued by a host of smaller birds and 

 beasts of prey, among which our badger took a 

 prominent rank. 



The existence of all these — marauder and ma- 

 rauded — depended, and still depends, upon their 

 ability to cope with a climate which adds to its 

 cardinal disadvantage of great aridity the char- 

 acteristic of going to great extremes of both heat 

 and cold. These details may seem wide of our 

 subject, but it is highly interesting to note the 

 kind of country in which our " hero " chooses to 

 dwell, and also who are his companions, and the 

 means by which they maintain themselves in the 

 competition of life. Now, whatever may be their 

 relations with each other, the year's weather — the 

 climate — is a fact that all have to reckon with 

 alike. 



The dry summer heats are not very prejudicial 

 to the birds, and when pasturage has been parched 

 out in one locality the grazing quadrupeds can 

 move to another ; therefore these are able to avoid 

 the rigors and famine of winter by fleeing to a 

 gentler Southern region, as all such animals do, 

 according to their various necessities, followed by 

 the big cats and wolves. But with all the smaller 



