GREAT BIRD OF PARADISE. 14? 



Strange stories Food Residence. 



Many strange stories, relative to this^ird, have 

 been not only fabricated, but believed, before 

 naturalists became in any degree acquainted with 

 it. It was reported to be destitnte of feet; to be 

 continually flying, even when asleep ; to live 

 only upon ether and dew; and that the female 

 produces her egg in the air, which the male re- 

 ceives in an orifice in his body: with many other 

 declarations equally absurd and ridiculous. 



As this bird is scarcely ever found excepting 

 in that part of Asia which produces spices, (par- 

 ticularly in the islands of Arou) we may conclude 

 that it finds among those aromatic trees, that 

 kind of food which is best suited to its nature. 

 Tavernier assures us, that it is very fond of nut- 

 megs ; that it never fails to glut itself with them 

 when in season; and that those nuts are so strong 

 as to intoxicate and make the birds fall upon 

 the ground. J. Otto Helbigius (who travelled 

 through the East Indies) remarks, that the bird 

 of Paradise feeds upon red berries which grow 

 on a very lofty tree. Linnaeus says, that it preys 

 upon large butterflies; and Bontius, that it some- 

 times chases and devours small birds. The woods 

 are its usual residence ; and it perches on the 

 trees, where the natives, concealing themselves 

 in a bovver made of the branches, shoot them 

 with reed arrows. They are likewise caught 

 with bird-lime, or in nooses, and when taken, 

 they make -a vigorous resistance, defending them- 

 selves with their bills. Some of these people cut 

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