A YOVNG NATURALIST. 135 



be caressed, and became familiar enough to take from his hand 

 the flies which were offered it. The Indians, who hold the 

 animal in great dread when alive, are in the habit of wearing its 

 dried body as an amulet against the " evil eye." 



From our lofty observatory we were looking at the beautiful 

 birds which occasionally flew across the plain, when Sumichrast 

 suddenly fired. He had caught sight of a fine magpie, of an ashy- 

 blue colour, with its head crowned by a tuft ; its throat appeared 

 as if it were bound round with black velvet, a pecuUarity which has 

 obtained for it from the Indians the name of the " commander 

 bird." Lucien came down from the rock to go and pick up the 

 game, when an enormous kite darted on the magpie, seized it in 

 its sharp claws, and immediately took flight. Sumichrast seized 

 his gun to punish the impudent poacher, but a falcon, about the 

 size of a man's fist, made its appearance, and describing two or 

 three rapid circles, swooped down on the kite. The latter 

 avoided the shock and continued to rise in the air, whilst his 

 antagonist came almost to the ground, uttering a shriek of rage. 

 Again ascending, with extreme rapidity, by an oblique flight, 

 it a second time overtopped its antagonist, and darted upon 

 it like a flash of lightning. Their wings beat together, and a few 

 feathers came fluttering to the ground. The prey fell from the 

 bird's grasp, followed in its fall by the falcon. The kite, conquered 

 by an enemy about one-fifth of its own size, flew round and 

 round in the air and then disappeared. The conqueror, stand- 

 ing about thirty yards from us, eyes glittering, and foot firmly 

 planted on its prey, magnificent in anger and daring, Sumichrast 

 abandoned the game to it as a recompense for its courage. 

 The bird, not at all satisfied at being so close to us, buried in the 

 body of its victim its claws, so enormous in comparison to its 

 own size, shook its wings and rose, at first with difficulty, when, 

 its flight becoming more easy as it ascended higher, it carried 

 off its quarry behind the trees. 



Lucien, who from the ground beneath had followed all the 

 dianges and chances of this combat, soon joined us. 



" How was it that that great bird allowed itself to be con- 

 quered by such a small adversary ? " he asked of Sumichrast. 



