it is full does he commence his meal. However, as we have no canoe,
even were we to kill one we could not get him."

While we were looking on, a huge bird, descending from the sky, it
seemed, pounced down into the water, quickly rising again with a large
fish in his mouth.

"Ah, that fellow is the fishing-eagle of Africa--the _Halicetus
vocifer_" said David. "His piercing eye observed his prey when he was
yet far up in the air. See how like a meteor he descended on it! Now
he flies away to yonder rock; and there, see! he has begun to tear his
fish to pieces. How quickly he has finished it--and listen to that
curious shriek he is uttering, and how oddly he moves his head and neck.
It is answered from those other rocks. The birds are calling to each
other, and from this the fishing-eagle has gained his name of _vocifer_"
Leo was for shouting and making them fly off. "No, no; let them feed,"
said David. "We have frightened the flamingo once; and how would you
like to be disturbed in your dinner? We must get Kate to come and look
at them."

While we were watching the birds, an enormous head emerged from the
water at a short distance from us. Leo and Natty, who were a little in
front, started back, Leo exclaiming, "What can it be? What a terrific
monster!" A huge body rising after the head, the creature swam slowly
up the stream.

"Why, that must be a hippopotamus," observed David, watching the
creature in his usual calm way.

"It looks to me the size of an elephant," exclaimed Leo. "Run, run,
run! If he were to attack us he would swallow us up in a mouthful."

"I do not think it has even noticed us," said David. "It will be time
enough to run when the creature lands. See! there is another."

As he spoke, a second and then a third hippopotamus appeared, following
the first. The creatures, indeed, had truly terrific countenances;
their backs in the water looking, as Leo had declared, nearly as large
as those of elephants.

"But see, there are some other creatures nearer!" cried Natty. "Oh,
what are they? What fearful jaws!"

He pointed to the bank close below us, and there we saw, just scrambling
out of the water, three huge crocodiles. There was no mistaking them.
We knew at once by their long snouts and terrific jaws, their scaly
backs and lizard-like tails, their short legs and savage eyes. They
seemed in no way afraid of the hippopotami, which they kept watching as
they swam by.

"I littl