this long, when the object of their pursuit is in their view and almost within their grasp. Being now within twenty yards of the innocent and interesting creature, I pointed my short rifle towards her, and immediately fired; but the unsteadiness of the canoe, and perhaps that of a hand not accustomed to this weapon, saved her life. She remained in her statue-like posture, the rifle was reloaded, and thrice fired, without touching her; but at last a bullet having cut through the branch on which she stood, she spread her dark pinions, and launching into the air, was soon beyond the reach of my eyes, and I trust of further danger.” The same kind friend having procured eggs and young of this interesting bird, I will present you with his observations respecting them. He writes thus:—“I brought home three young Snake-birds, two of which I immediately undertook to raise and domesticate, entrusting the third to the care of one of our mutual friends. I found no difficulty in rearing one of them. The other, by neglect of my servant, died a few weeks afterwards, during a short personal absence. Whilst these two birds were yet in the same cage, it was curious indeed to see the smaller one when hungry incessantly trying to force its bill into the mouth and throat of the other, which, after being thus teased for a short time, would open its mouth to suffer the little one to thrust its whole head down the throat of its brother, from which it would receive the fish that the latter had previously swallowed. In this singular manner did the larger bird, which after awhile proved to be a male, continue to act as if the foster-parent of his little sister, which indeed seemed to be thrown upon his protection. The one still in my possession is fed on fish, which it picks up, tosses a few times in the air, and swallows at the first convenient opportunity, that is when the fish falls towards its mouth head foremost. At the onset, when the fish was large, I had it cut into pieces, thinking that the apparent slenderness of the bird’s neck could not expand enough to swallow it whole; but I soon ascertained that this was unnecessary. Fish three times the size of the neck were tossed in the expanded jaws and gobbled at once, and immediately after, the bird would come to my feet, clicking its bill in such an unequivocal manner that I never failed to give it more. My pet was tame from the beginning of its captivity, and followed me about the house, the yard, and garden, until I thought it quite troublesome in consequence of its peculiar attachment to me. The one given to our friend was fed on fish and raw beef; but although it grew to its full size, never seemed to thrive as well as the one I had, and finally died of an affection causing spasms. This was a female, and although less bright in colour than the adult of the same sex, the two middle feathers of her tail were partially crimped, and her markings were the same.