'Well, I never give them a chance to bite me, and I do not think they want to; but all snakes are to be avoided and left severely alone.'
'Or killed, sir?'
'Yes, perhaps, if killed outright; for the pampan Indians have an idea that if a rattlesnake be only wounded, he will come back for revenge. But let us change the subject. You see those splendid butterflies? Well, by and by the moths will be out; they are equally lovely, but when I first came here there were very few of either. They followed the flowers, and the humming-birds came next, and many other lovely gay-coloured little songsters. I introduced most of the parrots and toucans. There are two up there even now. They would come down if you were not here.'
'They are very funny-looking, but very pretty,' said Dugald. 'I could stop and look at them for hours.'
'But we must proceed. Here are the trees where the parrots mostly live. Early as it is, you see they are retiring.'
What a sight! What resplendency of colour and beauty! Such bright metallic green, lustrous orange, crimson and bronze!
'Why do they frequent this particular part of the wood?' said Dugald.
'Ah, boy,' replied the hermit, 'I see you want to know everything. Don't be ashamed of that; you are a true naturalist at heart. Well, the parrots like to be by 223 themselves, and few of my birds care to live among them. You will notice, too, that yonder are some eucalyptus trees, and farther up some wide-spreading, open-branched trees, with flowers creeping and clinging around the stems. Parrots love those trees, because while there they have sunshine, and because birds of prey cannot easily tell which is parrot and which is flower or flame-coloured lichen.'
'That is an advantage.'
'Well, yes; but it is an advantage that also has a disadvantage, for our serpents are so lovely that even they are not easily seen by the parrots when they wriggle up among the orchids.'