108 
THE SNAKE-BIRD. 
their branches. Here and there are dark- 
coloured ponds, and sluggish creeks, where 
alligators swim, or lie upon the water like logs 
of wood. These ponds are just the places 
that the snake-bird loves. Do you see that 
pond yonder, enclosed by trees, and trees ris- 
ing out of it? If you watch for a minute, 
you will see her seated upon one of the 
branches. She has a sharp bill like the heron, 
with a pouch something like the pelican's, but 
very much smaller. She has a slender neck 
and a large fan-like tail. The colour of her 
plumage is of a dark glossy green, and her 
neck is spotted with white. 
She has chosen a branch where she can en- 
joy a ray of morning sunlight ; and as she 
stands erect, with her wings spread out, bask- 
ing in the warmth, she jerks her long slender 
neck backwards and forwards, and her keen 
bright eyes glance round, ready to espy the 
slightest danger. 
At the sound of a footstep, down she drops 
into the water, so noiselessly you can hardly 
hear the splash. For a minute she is gone ; 
but by and by her head appears on the sur- 
face. No other part of her body can be seen ; 
