'The snake, seeing them approach almost within range
of his hideous maw, gathered himself into a coil, and prepared to
strike. His eyes scintillated like sparks of fire, and seemed to
fascinate the birds; for instead of retiring, they each moment drew
nearer and nearer, now alighting on the ground, then flapping back to
the branches, and anon darting to the ground again--as though they
were under some spell from those fiery eyes, and were unable to take
themselves away. Their motions appeared to grow less energetic, their
chirping became almost inaudible, and their wings seemed hardly to
expand as they flew, or rather fluttered, around the head of the
serpent. One of them at length dropped down upon the ground within
reach of the snake, and stood with open bill, as if exhausted, and
unable to move farther. We were expecting to see the snake suddenly
launch forth upon his feathered victim; when all at once his coils
flew out, his body was thrown at full length, and he commenced
retreating from the tree!' The object that caused this diversion was
soon visible.
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