t ought to be `Oh, Nat!'" he replied laughing. "Why, you
young dog, what eyes you have! you got all the luck."

"Oh no, uncle," I said laughing; "I shot with Ebo's eyes."

"Then next time I'll do the same," he said.

"But let's go and shoot some more," I said excitedly.

"No, Nat, we shall get no more of these to-day. I suppose it will only
be by hiding in the darkness beneath the trees they frequent that we
shall have any success. They are wonderfully shy, and no wonder when
they have such plumage to protect."

I suppose most people have seen specimens of the great bird of paradise,
but they can have no conception of the beauty of a freshly shot specimen
such as were two of those which I brought down. I felt as if I could
never tire of gazing at the wonderful tinting of the bird, here of a
pale straw yellow with the feathers short and stiff like velvet, there
of a rich chocolate with the neck covered with scales of metallic green.
Their tails seemed to have, in place of centre feathers, a couple of
long beautiful curving wires nearly a yard long; but the chief beauty of
the birds was the great tuft of plumage which seemed to come out from
beneath the wings, light and soft, quite two feet long, and all of a
rich golden orange.

It seems to me impossible to conceive a more lovely bird, and we took
them in triumph to our hut, where we breakfasted, my uncle afterwards
carefully making skins of all four.

The other two were evidently younger birds, and had not their full
plumage, but they were very beautiful and formed a splendid addition to
the collection.

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

BEAUTIES IN PLUME.

Our work done, my uncle decided that we should stay here for a couple of
days at least, even if we did not afterwards come round to this side of
the island, for our good fortune was not yet at an end. In taking a
look round, towards mid-day we heard a harsh cry, and by means of a
little stalking Uncle Dick got within shot and brought down a bird that
was almost as beautiful as those we shot before daylight.

This had shorter plumes of a rich red, but it had two long double curved
wires in its tail, and its upper plumage was more plush-like and richer
in its colours. The metallic green was more vivid, the golden yellow a
colour which was most bright upon its neck and shoulders.

Almost directly after I shot a big dull brown bird which gave me no
satisfaction at all; but Uncle Dick was delighted, saying th