A TOUSG XATURALIST. 41 1 



reached the stream. L'Encuerado discovered two little 

 heaps of sand, one of which was still unfinished, and con- 

 tained twenty eggs about as big as chestnuts, and covered 

 with a whitish skin. A little farther on, Lucien caught a 

 small red turtle, the size of a crown-piece. On hearing from 

 TEncuerado that it would live several days without eating, 

 he made up his mind to take it home with him, and gave it 

 the name of " Rougette." 



Gringalet began growling; a deer had just shown its 

 graceful form among the branches. We all concealed our- 

 selves as well as we could, and when the beautiful animal 

 came down to the water Sumichrast shot it dead. I left 

 FEncuerado to help the sportsman in skinning our prize, 

 and went on with Lucien. The stream gradually became 

 wider, and we suddenly found ourselves fronting an im- 

 mense flooded plain, above which flocks of wild ducks were 

 circling. 



I sat down on the ground in order to admire the lake 

 and its banks, edged with royal palm-trees, the foliage 

 of which, though dark at the base, is a beautiful green at 

 the summit. The appearance of a water-eagle, with its 

 grayish- white head, disturbed the aquatic fowls ; as if by 

 enchantment, some of them hid among the rushes, but the 

 bird of prey passed over without taking any notice of such 

 game, which it doubtless considered unworthy of itself. A 

 tantalus settled down at about twenty paces from us, and 

 plunged into the stream and remained motionless. 



" Oh papa ! what a curious bird ! it looks as if it had a 

 bald head." 



" You are quite right ; it is the bird that the Indians call 

 galambao" 



" It's almost as tall as I am !" 



" Don't you see that it is mounted upon long legs like 

 stilts ?" replied I, laughing. " It is a relation of the stork." 



