BIRDS. 65 



British bird the rose-coloured ousel. The Paradisea tristts 

 of Linnseus, or the paradise-grakle of Latham, pertains to 

 this aenus. It is correctly named Graada gryllivora by 

 Daudin, and is remarkable, as its name implies, for its 

 destruction of locusts. In illustration of its history we 

 abridge the following curious particulars from Buffan : — 

 The "island of Bourbon, where this species was formerly 

 unknown, was at one time overrun to an alarming extent 

 by locusts, which had been introduced from Madagascar. 

 The governor-general and the intendant of the island, 

 alarmed at the desolation which was taking place, delibe-, 

 rated on the means of extirpating the nuisance, and with 

 that view they introduced several pairs of the paradise- 

 grakle from India. The plan promised to be successful ; 

 but unfortunately some of the colonists observing the birds 

 eagerly thrusting their bills into the soil of the newly-sowa 

 fiefds, imagined they were in quest of grain, and spread a 

 report that the grakles, so far from proving beneficial, were 

 likely to be highly detrimental to the country. The case 

 was argued in due form. It was statedonthepart of the birds 

 that they ransacked the new-ploughed grounds not for grain 

 but insects : but the opposite view prevailed, and two 

 hours after the edict of proscription had been pronounced 

 against them, not a living individual was to be found in the 

 island. But a speedy repentance followed this hasty 

 execution ; the locusts regained their ascendency, and be- 

 coming ere long more injurious than ever, the grakles were 

 again introduced, and after an absence of nearly eight 

 years, were received by the inhabitants with transports 

 of joy. Their preservation and extension now became an 

 affair of state, laws were enacted in their favour, the 

 physicians, either in truth or policy, declared their flesh 

 unwholesome, and the locusts quickly disappeared. But 

 an opposite inconvenience is said to have since arisen. The 

 birds, having prodigiously increased in numbers, and being 

 no longer adequately sustained by insect food, have had 

 recourse to grapes, dates, and mulberries, and have even 

 proceeded to scratch up rice, maize, wheat, beans, and 

 other useful produce ; they enter the pigeon-houses and 

 attack the eggs and young ; and thus, after destroying 

 the destroyer," they have themselves become a greater 

 pestilence than that which they extirpated. There is 

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