■I 111; lURi) (IF TAUADISi:. 



273 



coudivos to cutcli in his buak with i;Te;it celeritv ; it will cut iusects in ;i living state, but 

 will not touch them when dead. 



" I observed the bird, previously to eating a grasshopper given him in an entire and 

 unmutilated state, place the ir.sect upon the perch, keep it firmly tixed with the claws, 

 and di\i'sting it of the legs, wiiigs, &c., devour it, with the head always placed first. 

 The servant who attends upon him to clean the cage gives him food, &c., strips off the 

 legs, wings, &c., of the insects when alive, giving them to the bird as fast as he can 

 devour them. It rarelv alights upon the ground, and so proud is the creature of its 

 elegant dress, that it never permits a soil to remain upon it, and it may frequently be seen 

 spreading out its wings and feathers, and regarding its splendid self in every direction, to 

 observe whether the whole of its plumage is in an unsullied condition. It does not suffer 

 irom the cold weather during the winter season at Macao, though exposing the elegant 

 bird to the bleak northerly wind is always very pai'ticularly avoided. Mr. Beale is very 

 desirous of procuring a living female, if possible, to breed them in his aviary. 



" The sounds uttered by this bird are very peculiar ; that which ajipears to be a note 



HEAD OF PARAMS.EA KEGIA. 



HEAD OF ASTRArn CiULARlS. — VIEILL. 



HEAD OF PARADIS.KA VIRIDIS. 



HEAD OF EPIiMACnUS REGIUS. — LESSON. 



of congratulation resembles somewhat the cawing of a raven, but changes to a varied 

 scale of musical gradations, as, I/e, ///', ho, laar, repeated rapidly and frequently, as lively 

 and playfully he hops round and along his jjerch, descending to the sedbnd perch to be 

 admired, and congratulate the stranger who has made a visit to inspect him ; he frequently 

 raises his voice, sending forth notes of such power as to be heard at a long distance, and 

 as it could scarcely be supposed so delicate a bird could utter ; these notes are, ir/iock, 

 ivJtock, ichocl;, whock, uttered in a barking tone, the last being uttered in a low tone as a 

 conclusion. 



" A di'awiug of the bird, of the uatui'al size, was made by a Chinese artist. The bird 

 advanced steadily towards the picture, uttering at the same time its cawing congratulatoi-}- 

 notes ; it did not appear excited by rage, but pecked gently at the representation, 

 jimiping about the perch, knocking its mandibles together with a clattering noise, and 

 cleaning them against the perch, as if welcoming the arrival of a companion. After the 

 trial of the picture, a looking-glass was brought, to see what effect it ^\■ould produce upon 

 the bird, and the effect was nearly the same ; he regarded the reflection of himself most 

 steadfastly in the mirror, never quitting it during the time it remained before him. 

 When the glass was removed from the lower to the upper perch, he instantly followed, 

 but would not descend upon the floor of the cage when placed so low, 



T 



