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CHAPTER III. 



Museum at Macao — Mr. Beale's splendid aviary and gardens 

 — The Paradise bird — Natural history of this splendid 

 creature — Anecdotes — Superb magpie — Loris — Descrip- 

 tion of the aviary. 



A museum has been established at Macao, by 

 the English residents, and even now contains an 

 extensive and excellent collection of birds, beasts, 

 weapons, fossils, &c. from all parts of the world. 

 Several rooms are apropriated solely for this col- 

 lection, having a person to take charge of them, 

 and attend upon visitors. So little encourage- 

 ment, however, is given to natural science, and the 

 European merchants are so much absorbed in 

 mercantile affairs, that, on the dissolution of the 

 establishment of the Honourable East India Com- 

 pany, this excellent nucleus for an extensive, va- 

 luable, and, (with scientific arrangement,) useful 



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