ts echoed back, and then
shortly after another and another. He had found something to empty his
gun at.

Presently we saw him returning with a brace and a half of birds that
looked very much like large snipe. So he thought them, but that
question was set at rest by the zoologist, who pronounced them at once
to be the American "Curlew" of Wilson (_Numenius longirostris_). Curlew
or snipe, they were soon divested of the feathery coat, and placed in
Lanty's frying-pan. Excellent eating they proved, having only the fault
that there was not enough of them.

These birds formed the topic of our after-supper conversation, and then
it generalised to the different species of wading birds of America, and
at length that singular creature, the "ibis," became the theme. This
came round by Besancon remarking that a species of ibis was brought by
the Indians to the markets of New Orleans, and sold there under the name
of "Spanish Curlew." This was the white ibis (_Tantalus albas_), which
the zoologist stated was found in plenty along the whole southern coast
of the United States. There were two other species, he said, natives of
the warm parts of North America, the "wood-ibis" (_Tantalus loculator_),
which more nearly resembles the sacred ibis of Egypt, and the beautiful
"sacred ibis" (_Tantalus ruber_), which last is rarer than the others.

Our venerable companion, who had the ornithology of America, if I may
use the expression, at his fingers' ends, imparted many curious details
of the habits of these rare birds. All listened with interest to his
statements--even the hunter-guides, for with all their apparent rudeness
of demeanour, there was a dash of the naturalist in these fellows.

When the zoologist became silent, the young Creole took up the
conversation. Talking of the ibis, he said, reminded him of an
adventure he had met with while in pursuit of these birds among the
swamps of his native state. He would relate it to us. Of course we
were rejoiced at the proposal. We were just the audience for an
"adventure," and after rolling a fresh cigarette, the botanist began his
narration.

"During one of my college vacations I made a botanical excursion to the
south-western part of Louisiana. Before leaving home I had promised a
dear friend to bring him the skins of such rare birds as were known to
frequent the swampy region I was about to traverse, but he was
especially desirous I should obtain for him some specimens