.

Fidge had divested himself of his snowshoes and heavy Arctic outfit, and
was eagerly chasing some gaudy butterflies which were flitting about
amongst the bright tropical flowers, and the others, feeling the heat
very oppressive, were glad to follow his example, and get rid of their
cumbersome clothing. Marjorie made a neat little bundle of them, and hid
them behind a big stone, and then, calling Fidge to them, the party set
out to explore the surrounding country.

They had not gone far before they heard a voice crying out in a
peremptory way--

"Now then! move on, there!"

The Dodo was highly indignant at being addressed in this unceremonious
way, particularly as he once more displayed his white kid gloves and his
bright necktie, and consequently, imagined that he presented a dignified
and imposing appearance.

"Who's that?" he cried, looking about him angrily.

"Now then, move on! Do you hear?" cried the voice again.

The children stared to the right and left, in front of them, and behind
them, but no one was in sight.

"That's very strange!" exclaimed Dick. "Whoever can it be?"

"_Will_ you move on, there?" shouted the voice, louder than ever, and,
looking up into the trees, the children saw a huge green parrot, with a
red tail, hanging down from one of the branches by one claw, while he
shook the other at them menacingly.

"Bah! it's only a parrot," said the Dodo, in a contemptuous voice.

"What!" screamed the bird; "only a parrot, indeed. Who are you, I should
like to know?"

"We're tourists," said the Dodo, importantly. "These--ahem--gentlemen,
and this lady and myself, are on our way to visit the Ichthyosaurus,
while you are merely a common or garden parrot, and not at all fit and
proper person for us to be seen talking to. Come along," he added to the
others, grandly, and started to walk off with his beak in the air.

"Hoity, toity! Not so fast," said the parrot. "I've no doubt you think
yourself very grand with your kid gloves and your consequential airs;
but allow me to inform you that _I_ am some one of consequence in these
parts, too. I am a police officer, and regulate the traffic, so move
on, there, and don't block the way."

"Oh!" cried Marjorie, "if this--er--" (she was going to say "bird," but
thought perhaps the parrot might be offended, and she certainly couldn't
say "gentleman," so she got out of it this way)--"if this is a police
officer, perhaps he could be kind enough to direct