t
overhead, and I saw something sweep through the great branches a hundred
and fifty feet away.

I had not time to fire, for my uncle's gun made the forest echo, though
nothing fell.

"I missed it, Nat," he said, "for the branches were in my way; but I
thought I would not let the slightest chance go by."

"What was it, uncle?" I said.

"One of your crows," he replied, laughing; and Ebo went on again.

Just then my uncle glanced at his compass, and saw that we were
travelling in the right direction--due south--so it did not matter how
far we went; but though we kept hearing the cries of the crow-birds, as
I eventually called them, we saw no more, and felt disappointed for a
time, but not for long; there were too many fresh objects for our
notice.

At last daylight appeared ahead, and we came out from amongst the
trunks, which had risen up on every side of us like pillars, into a
beautiful open valley dotted with trees, some of which were green with
luxuriant branches right to the ground.

We did not spend many moments gazing at the beautiful landscape, so
lovely that I half expected to see houses there, and that it was the
result of clever gardening; but it was nature's own work, and in every
tree there were so many birds, and of such lovely kinds, that we seemed
to have come to the very place of all in the world to make our
collection.

"There, Nat, look!" said my uncle, pointing to where, in the full
sunshine, a great bird with a train of soft amber plumage flew across
the opening, to disappear amongst the trees; "there goes one of your
crows."

"That lovely buff bird, uncle?" I said; "why, it looked like what I
should think a bird of paradise would be."

"And that's what it was, undoubtedly, Nat," he said, "though I never
before saw one on the wing."

"But you said crow, uncle," I said. "Oh! of course, you said the birds
of paradise belonged to the crow family. I wish you could have shot
it."

"It would have required a rifle to hit it at that distance, Nat; but
wait a bit. We have learned one thing, and that is the fact that we
have birds of paradise here, and that satisfies me that we cannot do
better than keep to our present quarters. This place exceeds my highest
hopes for a collecting ground. There, look at that bird by the great
hollow-looking tree."

"I was looking at it, uncle. It is one of those great birds with the
big bill and a thing upon it like a deck-house."

"Yes," said my u