th thick body and long pointed wing, which were
constantly being taken for humming-birds, so rapid was their darting
flight. As for these latter, they flashed about them here, there, and
everywhere, now glittering in the sunshine, now looking dull and
plum-coloured as they hovered on hazy wings before the long trumpet
blossoms of some convolvulus-like flower whose twiny stems trailed over
or wrapped the lower growth.

Beetles, too, were abundant in every sun-scorched spot or on the bare
trunks of the trees, though bare places were rare, for the trees were
clothed densely with moss and orchid.

Rob's fingers itched as bird after bird flew up, and he longed to bring
them down for specimens, whose brilliant colours he could gloat over.
Now it was a huge scarlet-and-blue macaw, now one painted by Nature's
hand scarlet, yellow, and green, which flew off with its long tail
feathers spread, uttering discordant shrieks, and startling the smaller
parrots from the trees which they were stripping of their fruit.

But Brazier had told him not to fire at the smaller birds, as it was a
necessity to keep their larder supplied with substantial food, the four
boatmen and Shaddy being pretty good trencher-men, and making the deer
meat disappear even without the aid of trenchers.

"We ought to find a deer here surely," said Brazier, when they were
about half-way round.

"Well, I don't know, sir," replied their guide; "deer ain't like human
beings, ready to go walking in the hot sunshine in the middle of the
day. They like to lie up in the shade all through the sunny time, and
feed in the morning and evening."

"Then you think we shall not see a deer?"

"Can't say, sir; but if a turkey goes up I should make sure of him at
once. So I should if we came upon a carpincho, for this is a likely
place for one of them."

"But are they good eating?"

"Capital, sir. Now, look at that."

He faced round at a loud, fluttering sound, and guns were raised, but
the great bird which had taken flight was far out of shot, and winging
its way higher and higher, so as to fly over the tops of the trees and
away into the forest.

"Fine great turkey that, sir," said Shaddy.

"Yes: can we follow it?"

Shaddy shook his head.

"Far more sensible for us to walk straight away, sir, through the open
where that turkey got up: we might start another or two."

"But the going is so laborious," pleaded Brazier; "some of us would be
having sunstroke.