MINIATURE FORTRESSES 123 



some later time. When the Cholla grows to maturity, he 

 sometimes reaches the height of fifteen or twenty feet, with a 

 large defiant trunk on which appear the fantastic arms full 

 of spicules and thorns that defy the intrusion of man, beast, 

 or bird. He is one of the first of the desert greeters to meet 

 the traveler coming to his habitat to get acquainted, and if 

 one arrives in fruit and flower time he will dress up in his 

 best array of color and will be found most interesting and 

 fascinating — if, of course, you keep your distance ; for Cholla 

 will not tolerate any intimacy. When he is maturing and 

 getting along in years and the wind is gently blowing, he will 

 nod with little jumps of the lateral branches as if saying 

 "Buenas noches" or "Adios, senor," or more characteristi- 

 cally "Fuera !" Begone! This seems to be his usual greet- 

 ing, and, the natives claim, has given him his unofficial title 

 of the "Jumping Cholla." 



HABITATS 



Among the great groups of the cactus clan the Pincushion, 

 the Hedgehog, the Giant Sahuaro, and the Bisnaga, or Bar- 

 rel Cacti, have retreated before civilization. The first named 

 cannot endure close grazing of the ranges, nor trampling by 

 stock, nor being continually dug up and carried away from 

 their native habitats. They are rapidly disappearing from 

 their original haunts. This, notwithstanding the fact that 

 they are the most highly evolved of all cacti. The Giant 

 Cactus is too proud, too dignified to fight or to offer resist- 

 ance; only his size saves him from destruction. He repro- 

 duces very slowly ; from some areas he is clearly disappearing, 

 though in others he is making some progress. Before the in- 

 roads of civilization, the Hedgehog and the Bisnaga (Barrel 

 Cacti) though strongly fortified are slowly receding, grad- 



