nearer, now
alighting on the ground, then flapping back to the branches, and anon
darting to the ground again--as though they were under some spell from
those fiery eyes, and were unable to take themselves away! Their
motions appeared to grow less energetic--their chirping became almost
inaudible--and their wings seemed hardly to expand as they flew, or
rather fluttered, around the head of the serpent. One of them at length
dropped down upon the ground--within reach of the snake--and stood with
open bill, as if exhausted, and unable to move farther. We were
expecting to see the snake suddenly launch forth upon his feathered
victim; when, all at once, his coils flew out, his body was thrown at
full length, and he commenced retreating from the tree! The birds,
apparently released from the spell that had bound them, flew up to the
higher branches, and ceased their screaming!

"For a while, my companion and I stood silent, wondering at this
unexpected termination of the scene.

"`What can have driven him off?' asked Frank, turning to me with a look
of inquiry.

"Before I could make any reply, an object appeared upon the edge of the
thicket which attracted the attention of both of us. It was an animal
about the size of a wolf, and of a dark grey or blackish colour. Its
body was compact, round-shaped, and covered--not with hair, but--with
shaggy bristles, that along the ridge of its back were nearly six inches
in length, and gave it the appearance of having a mane. It had very
short ears, no tail whatever, or only a knob; and we could see that its
feet were hoofed, not clawed as in beasts of prey. But, whether beast
of prey or not, its long mouth, with two white tusks protruding over the
jaws, gave it a very formidable appearance. Its head and nose resembled
those of the hog more than any other animal; and, in fact, it was
nothing else than the _peccary_--the wild hog of Mexico. As it came out
from the long weeds and grass, we saw that two smaller animals, of a
dark reddish colour--two young peccaries--were following at its heels.
Like the opossum, it was a mother and her brood.

"The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once
more set up the scolding concert. But the old peccary paid no attention
to the birds. They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose
to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.

"In going away from the thicket, she crossed the tr