186 HISTOnY OF 



CHAP. V. 



OF THE BIRD OF PARADISE, AND 1X8 VARIETIES. 



There are few birds that have more deceived and puzzled the 

 learned than this. Some have described it as an inhabitant of 

 the air, living only upon the dew of heaven, and never resting 

 below ; others have acquiesced in the latter part of its history, 

 but have given it flying insects to feed on. Some have asserted 

 that it was without feet, and others have ranked it among the 

 birds of prey. 



The great beauty of this bird's plumage, and the deformity of 

 its legs, seem to have given rise to most of these erroneous re- 

 ports. The native savages of the Molucca Islands, of which it 

 is an inhabitant, were very little studious of natural history ; and, 

 perceiving the inclination the Europeans had for this beautiful 

 bird, carefully cut off its legs before they brought it to market ; 

 thus concealing its greatest deformity, they considered them- 

 selves entitled to rise in their demands when they offered it for 

 sale. One deceit led on 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 Euro- 

 pean was imposed upon by others ; in all the rest he imposed 

 upon himself. Seeing so beautiful a bird without legs, he con- 



and she is so much atta<!hed to her eggs, that she will sooner suffer any one 

 to pluck off her feathers than fly away. During the time of incubation, she 

 is assiduously attended by the male, who supplies her ^vith food. If the 

 carrier of plaster at the entrance of the hole be destroyed, while these birds 

 nave eggs, it is speedily replaced ; a peculiar instinct, to prevent their nest 

 from being destroyed by the woodpeclter, and other birds of superior size 

 and strength, wliich build in similar situations. 



The nut- hatch is not supposed to sleep perched, like most other birds, on 

 a twig ; for it has been observed, that when kept in a cage, notwithstanding 

 it would percli now and then, yet at night it generally crept into some hole 

 or corner to sleep. And it is remarkable, when perched, or otherwise at 

 rest, it had mostly the head downwards, or at least even with the body, and 

 not elevated like other birds. 



Allied to the Nut-hatcli are the Creepers and Hoopoes. Creepers scale 

 trees in the same manner as woodpeckers, and, like them, are supported be- 

 hind by their stiflf deflected tail. They feed entirely on insects. The 

 Hoopoes frequent the south of Europe in the summer months, but in winter 

 retire to .\sia and Africa. They build in decayed trees, and live on insccU. 



