, while, again, others
bore the same leafy uniform, and, for decoration, a dark collar, and
long, pencil-like-produced feathers in their tails.

There was the gun close at hand. Lane had but to take it from beneath
the creeper which held it fast; but, at this time, it never occurred to
him that he might secure two or three splendid specimens for the
collection he sought to make, so occupied was he by the action of the
flock in the tree.

It was all delightful to him to watch the soft, easy, deliberate way in
which the paroquets climbed with beak and claw, hooking on with the
former, and then raising one foot with its soft, clasping, yoke-toes to
take a firm hold before bringing up the other; then, holding on by both,
and swinging gently to and fro, the beak was set at liberty, and the
bird hung head downwards, to feast upon some luscious fig.

"If they only had a sweet note, instead of their harsh scream," thought
Lane, "what lovely creatures they would be."

He sat there watching them for about an hour, but far from satiated, for
there was always something fresh to see, and the birds were so tame,
that he often had them within a few feet of his head, some soft,
round-headed creature turning itself on one side to gaze at him with its
keen eye as if in wonder, before going on with its feeding, satisfied
that it would not be hurt.

Then the delightful scene came to an end with the climbing birds and the
foliage lit up by the horizontal rays of the sun, for, all at once,
there was a deafening explosion, and, shrieking loudly, the flock took
flight, while Lane sat there appalled, listening in expectation of
another report, the former having evidently come from the mountain; but,
as he listened, there was in place of the explosion, a loud hissing, and
then a loud, heavy pattering, accompanied and followed by thud after
thud, and he knew, though he could not see for the dense foliage, that a
volley of heavy stones and masses of pumice had been fired into the air,
to fall from various heights back to earth on the mountain slopes.

"Ah, I must go and see that," he said to himself, as he seized his gun.
"Not my department, but none the less interesting. I wish Panton was
here."

A soft, whining noise took his attention then, and, glancing beside him,
he saw that the cubs which had been his companions all night were
straining about, climbing over each other, and falling back, evidently
wanting their morning meal.

"An