OF THE SOUTH SEAS 505 



in my bird cage to be thoroughly rested for the night. 

 It was not easy to fall asleep. There was a thicket of 

 pandanus near my house, the many legs of the curious 

 trees set in the sand of the upper beach, and these trees 

 were favorite resort of the mina birds, which were as 

 familiar with me as children of a family, and in many 

 cases impudent beyond belief. They were the size of 

 crows, and had bronzed wings, lined with white; but 

 their most conspicuous color was a flaring yellow, which 

 dyed their feet and their beaks and encircled their bold 

 eyes like canary-colored rims of spectacles. Their usual 

 voice was a hoarse croak that a raven might disavow, 

 but they also emitted a disturbing rattle and a whistle, 

 according to their moods. They were thieves, as I have 

 said, but one was more audacious than the others. He 

 would come into my open house at daybreak, and perch 

 on my body, and awaken me pecking at imaginary ticks. 

 He picked up a small compass by its chain and flew away 

 with it. 



This particular wretch had learned to speak a little, 

 and would say, "la ora na oe!" sharply, but with a de- 

 cided grackle accent. Despite the irritating cacophony 

 of the mina, I must have slept more than an hour; for 

 when I was suddenly awakened, the sun was almost lost 

 behind the hills. The talking mina was dancing on my 

 bare stomach and calling out his human vocabulary. 



I sprang up, my tormentor uttering a raucous screech 

 as I tossed him away. While I hastily cooked my sup- 

 per, the colors of the hiding sun spread over the sky in 

 entrancing variety. I could not see the west, but to the 

 northeast were rifts of blood-red clouds edged with gold 

 over a lake of pearly hue, and to the right of it a bank 



