The bell-bird is seldom found in forests inhabited by other birds; it selects lonely and desolate haunts. A recent traveller, in describing his journey through a South American forest, writes—“Nothing can be more still and solitary than everything around; the silence is appalling and the desolation is awful; neither are disturbed by the sight or voice of living thing, save one—which only adds to the impression. It is like the clinking of metals, as if two lumps of brass were struck together; and it sometimes resembles the distant and solemn tolling of a church-bell, struck at long intervals. This extraordinary sound proceeds from a bird called arapongo or guirapongo. It is about the size of a small pigeon, white, with a circle of red round the eyes. It sits on the tops of the highest trees, and in the deepest forests, and, though constantly heard in the most desert places, is very rarely seen. It is impossible to conceive any thing of a more solitary character than the profound silence of the woods, broken only by the metallic and almost preternatural sounds of this invisible bird, coming from the air, and seeming to follow you wherever you go. I have watched with greet perseverance, when the sound seemed quite close to me, and never but once caught a glance of the cause. It passed suddenly over the top of a very high tree, like a large flake of snow, and immediately disappeared.” ----- [2] In the United States two species only have been made known, the Ruby-throated, charmingly described both by Wilson and Audubon, and the Northern. I am told, however, that Audubon has recently discovered still another. [3] From a poem entitled “Barbadoes,” by Dr. Chapman, a man of a fine genius, who may be known to my readers as the author of some very fine translations of the Greek Anthology, which have appeared in Blackwood’s Magazine. _Callibree_ is the Indian name of the bird. * * * * * THE GIRDLE OF FIRE. BY PERCIE H. SELTON.