ape of the head and position of the eye. The
extended proboscis represented the long beak of the bird, while at the
end of the moth's body was a brush of long hairs, which, as it flew
along, being expanded, looked very much like the feathers of the bird's
tail. Oria, when she saw the moth, told Ellen that it would some day
turn into a bird; and Ellen, I believe, did not succeed in persuading
her that such would certainly never happen. The resemblance, of course,
is merely superficial, their internal construction being totally
different. I have not as yet described nearly all Ellen's new pets; but
just then, as I was very hungry, I had something else to think of.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

OUR VOYAGE RECOMMENCED.

I was awoke the following morning by an unusual commotion among our
four-footed and feathered friends. The monkeys were chattering away and
running along the rafters, up and down the posts; the parrots were
talking energetically together; while True every now and then ran to the
door and gave a peculiar bark, coming back again under my hammock. John
and Domingos were quickly aroused by his barks. "What can be the
matter!" I exclaimed. "Some animal is outside," answered John,
springing out of his hammock. "It has probably been trying to find an
entrance into our hut. If a puma or jaguar, we will soon settle him."

"Oria thinks it is some big serpent, from the way the animals are
frightened," said Ellen, from her room.

"Whether big serpent or savage beast, we need not fear it, my sister,"
answered John, going to the door, which we always kept closed at night
for safety's sake.

What was our dismay to see a huge serpent coiled round the post of the
verandah, with its head moving about as if in March of prey. Duppo
sprang forward and shut to the door, exclaiming, "_Boiguaeu_!" Even
True ran behind us, not liking to face the monster. From the glimpse we
got of it, it seemed of enormous size, and might readily have crushed
two or three people together in the folds of its huge body. John and I
went back and got our guns ready, while Domingos and Duppo kept guard at
the door.

"I said those pets of Ellen's would serve as baits some day for one of
those creatures!" exclaimed John. "However, if we can hit it in the
head, we need not fear its doing us any harm."

Having carefully examined the loading of our firearms, we told Domingos
again to open the door. He seemed, however, very unwilling to do