Then there were plenty of paroquets, rich in green, orange, and vermilion; rain-birds as the Malays call them, in claret and white, with blue and orange beaks; parrots without number, and finches, swallows, and starlings of lovely metallic hues; but the greatest prizes were the birds of paradise, of which several kinds were secured, from the grandly-plumaged great bird of paradise to the tiny king. Whenever one of these was shot in some great grove at daybreak, Jack hesitated to have it skinned for fear of injuring the lovely feathers, over which adornments Nature seemed to have done her best. Now it was one of the first-named, a largish bird, with its feathers standing out to curve over in a dry fountain of golden buff, ornamented with their beautifully flowing; wave-like shafts; and this would be of a prevailing tint of soft cinnamon red; while the smaller kinds were lavishly adorned with crests and tippets and sprays of feathers brighter than burnished metal. "I don't know how it is," said Jack one day, "but every bird we find seems more beautiful than the last." He had just picked up a fresh specimen which had fallen to the doctor's gun. "Well, it is more novel than beautiful, Jack," said the doctor, as they turned over and re-arranged the dark purple, or dark-brown, or claret, or black, or green metallic plumage, for it might have been called either according to the angle at which it was viewed. "Come, this will help to make them believe that birds of paradise are of the crow family." "No one ever saw a crow half as beautiful as that," cried the lad. "At home--no. But look at the shape of this bird--its wings, claws, and build altogether; doesn't he look as if he could be a crow?" "There is a slight resemblance, certainly," said Jack; "but this isn't a bird of paradise." "It is next door to one, my lad, and I am surprised to find it here." "You know what it is then?" "I know there's a northern Australian bird almost like it, if not quite. I think it is the rifle bird. We'll have a good look when we get back. Take special care of that one, Lenny." "Ay, ay, sir. I takes special care of all of 'em, when the bushes and thorns 'll let me." They were well up the gully through which the stream off which the yacht was anchored ran, for, finding the place rich in specimens, they had toiled up higher and higher that morning. Ned was for the first time of the party, on the condition that he would be very careful, for his arm was still stiff and numb, though otherwise he was much better; but he kept pretty close to his young master, and let the men with him carry the guns and ammunition, and in several ways made silent confession that he was not so strong as he was. Jack noticed it, and made some allusion to the fact.