noon
Its voice was unpleasant to the ear , and sounded more like the grating of a rusty hinge than anything else they could think of . The bird itself was not larger than a thrush , of a light grey colour above , white underneath , and with blackish wings . Its bill resembled that of the hawks , but its legs were more like those of the woodpecker tribe ; and it seemed , in fact , to be a cross between the two . It was neither the colour of the bird , nor its form , nor yet its song , that interested our travellers , but its singular habits ; and these they had a fine opportunity of observing at one of their `` noon camps , '' where they had halted to rest and refresh themselves during the hot midday hours . The place was on one of the little islets , which was covered with underwood , with here and there some larger trees . The underwood bushes were of various sorts ; but close to the spot where they had landed was a large thicket of honeysuckle , whose flowers were in full bloom , and filled the air with their sweet perfume . While seated near these , Francois ' quick eye detected the presence of some very small birds moving among the blossoms .