So that it had occurred to him that if he could pick up a few natural curiosities in the tropics, he might do worse, supposing his cousin be still absent from Halifax, than keep himself from idleness, by taking service in our old ship, with the chance of doing a little trading at the Liverpool Museum.
"I wish I hadn't broken that gorgeous lump of coral Alfonso gave me," said Dennis.

"But it's as brittle as egg-shell, though I rather fancy the half of it would astonish most museums.

You're a wonderful boy, Alister! Ah, we'll all live to see the day when you're a millionaire, laying the foundation-stone of some of these big things the Aberdeen men build, and speechifying away to the rising generation of how ye began life with nothing but a stuffed Demerary parrot in your pocket.

Willie, can't ye lend me some kind of a gun, that I may get him a few of these highly-painted fowl of the air?
If I had but old Barney at my elbow now--GOD rest his soul!--we'd give a good account of ourselves among the cockatoos.

Many's the lot of sea-birds we've brought home in the hooker to stuff the family pillows.