JACAMARS, PARROTS, AND TROGONS. 43 



and fain would have caught one, if possible, to have 

 kept it to be tame and taught it to speak to me." 



Halfway down the slope I heard voices in the air, 

 apparently over the forest, but approaching the hill. 

 "Quite right, quite right," screamed a shrill voice, 

 to which another responded, " Eight, quite right." 

 Looking around, I saw a pair of parrots swiftly flying 

 toward me, quite high in the air. As they got about 

 overhead I aimed my gun well ahead of them and 

 fired. 



One of them screamed, faltered in its flight a bit, 

 then whirled over and over toward the forest beneath. 

 Its mate followed it a few yards, but soon recovered 

 its course and flew on, screaming " Quite right, quite 

 right," though evidently it was altogether wrong. 

 Marking down the wounded parrot, I tore my way 

 through the undergrowth on the other side of the 

 pond, and finally came upon him on his back in a 

 tangle of vines. 



He was only wing tipped, and as savage as a 

 bear; he threw himself back in posture of defense 

 and invited me to come on. I went, but a moment 

 later I retreated with lacerated hands, while the parrot 

 fairly yelled in his fury and struggled to get at me 

 again. He couldn't retreat, and he knew it ; but he 

 was full of fight, and it was a busy half hour before 

 I had secured him by wrapping him round and round 

 with lengths of lialine cord. His eyes glared, and he 

 muttered threats of vengeance through his beak ; but 

 he was helpless, and I hoped to get him home in 

 safety. 



