STORIES ABOUT BIEDS. 97 



ket. Thus concealing its greatest deformity, 

 they considered themselves entitled to rise in 

 their demands, when they offered it for sale. 

 One deceit led to another. The buyer, finding 

 the bird without legs, naturally inquired after 

 them; and the seller as naturally began to 

 assert that it had none. Thus far the European 

 was imposed upon by others; in all the rest 

 he imposed upon himself Seeing so beautiful 

 a bird without legs, he concluded that it could 

 live only in the air, where legs were unneces- 

 sary. The extraordinary splendor of its plu- 

 mage assisted this deception; and as it had 

 heavenly beauty, so it was asserted to have a 

 heavenly residence. Hence its name, and all 

 the false reports that have been made con- 

 cerning it. 



Error, however, is short-lived, and time has 

 discovered, that this bird not only has legs, but 

 very large, strong ones, for its size. Soon after 

 the discovery was made, this harmless bird was 

 branded with the character of being rapacious, 

 of destroying all birds of smaller size, and, from 

 the amazing rapidity of its flight, as well quali- 

 fied for a vast deal of mischief The real his- 

 tory of this pretty animal is at present tolerably 

 well known ; and it is found to be s,s harmless 

 as it is beautiful. 



