thiego,
for instance--the great ant-eater, and the skunk--I have banished that,
however--wolves, foxes, kites, owls, and condors. I also found peccaries,
and some deer. These latter, and the guanaco, give me a wide berth now.
They do not care for dogs, pumas, and jaguars. Insects are rather too
numerous, and I have several species of snakes.'

Archie's--_our_ Archie's--face fell.

'Are they?' he began, 'are they very--'

'Very beautiful? Yes; indeed, some are charming in colour. One, for
example, is of the brightest crimson streaked with black.'

'I was not referring to their beauty; I meant were they dangerous?'

'Well, I never give them a chance to bite me, and I do not think they want
to; but all snakes are to be avoided and left severely alone.'

'Or killed, sir?'

'Yes, perhaps, if killed outright; for the pampan Indians have an idea
that if a rattlesnake be only wounded, he will come back for revenge. But
let us change the subject. You see those splendid butterflies? Well, by
and by the moths will be out; they are equally lovely, but when I first
came here there were very few of either. They followed the flowers, and
the humming-birds came next, and many other lovely gay-coloured little
songsters. I introduced most of the parrots and toucans. There are two up
there even now. They would come down if you were not here.'

'They are very funny-looking, but very pretty,' said Dugald. 'I could stop
and look at them for hours.'

'But we must proceed. Here are the trees where the parrots mostly live.
Early as it is, you see they are retiring.'

What a sight! What resplendency of colour and beauty! Such bright metallic
green, lustrous orange, crimson and bronze!

'Why do they frequent this particular part of the wood?' said Dugald.

'Ah, boy,' replied the hermit, 'I see you want to know everything. Don't
be ashamed of that; you are a true naturalist at heart. Well, the parrots
like to be by themselves, and few of my birds care to live among them.
You will notice, too, that yonder are some eucalyptus trees, and farther
up some wide-spreading, open-branched trees, with flowers creeping and
clinging around the stems. Parrots love those trees, because while there
they have sunshine, and because birds of prey cannot easily tell which is
parrot and which is flower or flame-coloured lichen.'

'That is an advantage.'

'Well, yes; but it is an advantage that also has a disadvantage, for our
serpents are so lovely th