THE BIRD OP PARADISE. 



THE name of this beautiful creature, we may 

 fairly suppose, was given to him on account of 

 his being generally seen on the wing, and flying 

 in the tropic zone at a small distance from the 

 land. Its appearance, being most welcome to 

 the tired sailor and longing passenger, gene- 

 rally causes much happiness by its foretelling 

 the vicinity of terra firrna. The head is small, 

 but adorned with colours which can vie with 

 the brightest hues of the peacock's embellish- 

 ments ; the neck is of a fawn tint, and the body 

 very small, but covered with long feathers of a 

 browner hue, tinged with gold ; two feathers 

 issue from the rump, and constitute the tail. 

 These volatiles, whose beauty exceeds that of 

 all others, are natives of the Molucca Islands, 

 and are frequently seen in large flocks among 

 the delightful and spicy woods of that country. 



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