Таємничий острів

           Pencroftsearchedinvainforsomeofthosepreciouspalm-treeswhichareemployedinsomanywaysindomesticlife,andwhichhavebeenfoundasfarasthefortiethparallelintheNorthernHemisphere,andtothethirty-fifthonlyintheSouthernHemisphere.Butthisforestwasonlycomposedofconiferae,suchasdeodaras,alreadyrecognizedbyHerbert,andDouglaspine,similartothosewhichgrowonthenorthwestcoastofAmerica,andsplendidfirs,measuringahundredandfiftyfeetinheight.

           Atthismomentaflockofbirds,ofasmallsizeandprettyplumage,withlongglancingtails,dispersedthemselvesamongthebranchesstrewingtheirfeathers,whichcoveredthegroundaswithfinedown.Herbertpickedupafewofthesefeathers,andafterhavingexaminedthem,—

           "Thesearecouroucous,"saidhe.

           "Ishouldpreferamoor-cockorguinea-fowl,"repliedPencroft,"still,iftheyaregoodtoeat—"

           "Theyaregoodtoeat,andalsotheirfleshisverydelicate,"repliedHerbert."Besides,ifIdon’tmistake,itiseasytoapproachandkillthemwithastick."

           Thesailorandthelad,creepingamongthegrass,arrivedatthefootofatree,whoselowerbrancheswerecoveredwithlittlebirds.Thecouroucouswerewaitingthepassageofinsectswhichservedfortheirnourishment.Theirfeatheryfeetcouldbeseenclaspingtheslendertwigswhichsupportedthem.

           Thehuntersthenrose,andusingtheirstickslikescythes,theymoweddownwholerowsofthesecouroucous,whoneverthoughtofflyingaway,andstupidlyallowedthemselvestobeknockedoff.Ahundredwerealreadyheapedontheground,beforetheothersmadeuptheirmindstofly.

           "Well,"saidPencroft,"hereisgame,whichisquitewithinthereachofhunterslikeus.Wehaveonlytoputoutourhandsandtakeit!"