264 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



just where to find the birds, and they took me to some 

 good places. 



Farther up the hill, we shot several fruit-pigeons ; 

 then hearing a rifle-bird in the distance, I left all the 

 others and started in pursuit. Up and down the steep 

 hillsides we went, until we descried him flying about 

 from top to top of the tall trees, his breast of bril- 

 liant scales glistening in the sun. He was so restless, 

 remaining such a short time in one place, that we had 

 a long chase ; but, fortunately, he at last came down 

 into the lower growths, and I shot him while clinging 

 to a creeper. Scarcely was he stowed away in the bag 

 which one of the boys was carrying, when I heard 

 another, and away we went, bagging him in less than 

 ten minutes. Oh, they were beauties ! certainly the 

 finest birds I have ever seen alive, for they glistened 

 and sparkled as if sprinkled with precious gems. A 

 stuffed specimen gives a very poor idea of the grace 

 and beauty of the living bird, with his velvet coat 

 trimmed and adorned with scales of shining blue, 

 purple, green, and gold. 



As we were going up the next hill, one of the boys 

 stopped me suddenly, pointing up into a tree where all 

 I could see was a patch of red among the leaves. I 

 had no idea what it could be, but before the smoke of 

 my gun had cleared away, down tumbled a very large 

 parrot, richly colored in scarlet and gold. His head, 

 which looked very much like that of a hawk or buz- 



