( 52 ) 



O F TH E 



BIRD OF PARADISE and its VARIETIES. 



THIS bird appears as large as a pigeon, though in reality the fize 

 of a thrufh. The tail is about fix inches j as is the body ; the vvin!2;s 

 are large, compared with the bird's dimenfions. The head, throat, and 

 neck are velvetted pale gold colour ; eyes fmall ; the bafe of the bill, 

 and the lide of the head and throat, are furrounded by black feathers, fofc 

 as velvet, and changeable by a varied incidence of light ; the hinder 

 part of the head is fhining green, mixed with gold; the body and wings 

 are chiefly covered with beautiful brown, purple, and gold feathers ; the 

 feet long and ftrong j the upper part of the tail feathers are pale yellow, 

 thofe under them white, and longer than the upper, for which reafon the 

 hinder part of the tail appears all white j but what is mofl: remarkable are 

 two long naked feathers, which fpring from the upper part of the rump above 

 the tail, and which arc ufually three feet long; thefe are bearded only 

 at the beginning and the end; the fhaft for two feet nine inches being a 

 deep black, while the feathered extremity exhibits changeable colours, 

 and an ornament fomething like the eyes of a peacock's tail. Black is the 

 principal colour of fome kinds. 



This bird, whofe beauty is fuperlative, is native of the Molucca 

 Iflands, but found in greateft numbers in that of Aro, in whofe delightful 

 and fpicy woods they fly in large flocks. The inhabitants give them the 

 name of God's bird^ {M'^nucodiata), At night all generally perch upon 

 the fame tree. They are called by fome Swallows of Ternate, from 

 *• their rapid flight, and from being continually on the wing in purfuit of 

 infe<^s. In the rainy feafon, it is faid they fly to other countries where 

 their food is in greater abundance ; they have their fl:atcd times of return. 

 In Augufl:, they are feen in great numbers flying together. 



The natives, who make a trade of killing thefe birds and felling them 

 to the Europeans, having concealed themfelves in a bower made of the 

 branches of the trees they frequent,. Ihoot the birds with arrows of reeds. 



Tfiere is alfo a Manucodia which has fix long feathers ifluing from his 

 head, like thofe of others from the tail; a kind of creft from the bill; 

 the feathers on the belly are four inches long. 



N. B. The natives f«/<7/*the legs of many birds they fell, and fay they 

 have none. 3 THE 



