THE BIRD OF PARADISE. 53 



coiours, swarming with parrots, and glittering with the brilliancy 

 of their plumage. 



THE BIRD OF PARADISE, 



Which has undoubtedly derived its name from its beauty, is a 

 native of the Molucca islands, and, being confined to those re- 

 mote regions of the East, has been very imperfectly known to 

 the best European ornithologists, until Sonnerat, in his voyage 

 to New Guinea, somewhat elucidated the subject. Of this bird, 

 there are eight different species ; but that which is best known, 

 is the greater bird of paradise. This beautiful volatile, from 

 the fulness of its plumage, appears to the eye nearly the size of 

 a pigeon, although its body is not in reality much larger than 

 that of a thrush. Its body and jts tail are each about six inches 

 long ; and the wings are large in proportion to its other dimen- 

 sions. The head, the throat, and the neck, are of a pale gold 

 colour. The base of the bill, as also the head, is covered with 

 fine black feathers, soft and glossy as velvet, and varying in 

 colour with the different shades of light. The hind part of 

 the head is of a shining green, mixed with gold colour. The 

 body and wings are covered with beautiful brown, purple and 

 gold-cole ured feathers. The upper part of the tail is a pale 

 yellow, and the undermost feathers are white, and longer than 

 those above ; but the appendage which chiefly excites curiosity, 

 consists of two long naked feathers, which spring from the up- 

 per part of the rump, above the tail, and are generally about 

 two feet in length. These are bearded only at the beginning and 

 the end, the whole shaft for above one foot nine inches, being of 

 a deep black ; while the feathered extremity is of a colour which 

 changes with the various reflections of the light. 



In the Oriental islands which they inhabit, these birds are 

 seen in large flocks fluttering through the aromatic groves. 

 They are sometimes called the swallows of Ternate, from the 

 rapidity of their flight, and their being constantly on the wing, 

 in pursuit of flies and insects, which are their usual food. 



The beauty and rarity of this bird have given rise to a num- 

 ber of fictitious tales, and a mass of fabulous description. The 

 natives of the countries where they are found, observing the 

 avidity with which Europeans purchased these birds when stuff- 

 ed, having adopted the custom of cutting off their legs, asserted, 

 that Nature had not furnished them with those members, as 

 they were inhabitants solely of the air, and nourished entirely by 

 the dew of heaven. And, what is astonishing, all these absurd 

 ities were for a long time believed. 



The Malayans, who make a trade of killing, stuffing, and 

 selling these birds to the curious Europeans, generally conceal 



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