48 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



flutter from flower to flower, and hover amono- 



' O 



the bushes under which we sat ; or that sometimes 

 collected in separate companies on the sunny 

 banks of the little stream that ran through the 



O 



valley near tn"e Senhor's house. None of those 

 great owl-moths sitting quietly on the trees wait- 

 ing, with their wings spread open, for the approach 

 of evening. Alas! I see none of those beautiful 

 creatures here \ nor the long nests of the wasps 

 hanging from the trees ; nor the beetles sparkling 

 brightly on the flowers and fresh leaves *, nor the 

 beautiful little serpents, equal to flowers in splen- 

 dour, gliding out of the leaves and the hollows of 

 trees, and creeping up the stem to catch insects. 

 I have just been describing to Mary those 

 woods which seemed actually alive, when the 

 monkeys came leaping and chattering from tree 

 to tree, and enjoying the sun ; as well as all our 

 birds with their bright plumage, whose various 

 notes formed such extraordinary concerts. The 

 urapong, which makes the woods resound with 

 a noise like the strokes of a hammer on the anvil. 

 The showy parrots of every colour, and the mana- 

 kin, whose melodious morning song you loved, 

 because it was so like the warbling of the night- 

 ingale ; and which Mary tells me is called the 

 organiste, in St. Domingo, on account of the 

 compass of its song, as it forms a complete oc- 

 tave. And besides all these, the dear little busy 

 orioles, that my sister and I have so often watched 



