47o P A R A D i S E B I R D. 



fueh ftoriesj too ridiculous even to mention. This laft error is 

 fcarcely at this moment wholly eradicated. 



The circumftance which gave rife to this, did not indeed, at 

 firft, proceed from an intention to deceive, but merely from ac- 

 cident. In the parts of the world which produce thefe birds, 

 the natives made ufe of them as Aigrets, and other ornaments of 

 drefs ; and in courfe threw away the lefe brilliant parts. The 

 whole trouble they were at on this occafion, was merely to fkin 

 the bird, and, after pulling off the legs, coarfer parts of the wings, 

 &c. thruft a ftick down the throat into the body, letting an inch 

 or two hang out of the mouth, beyond the bill : on the bird's 

 drying, the fkin collapfed about the ftick, which became fixed, 

 and iupported the whole. They had then no more to do than 

 to put this end of it into a focket fitted to receive it, or fallen it 

 in fome manner to the turban, -&c. By degrees thefe were im- 

 ported into the other ifles for the fame ufes, and afterwards were 

 coveted by the Japanefe, Chineje, and Perfians, in whofe countries 

 they are frequently feen, as well as in many parts of India ; the 

 Grandees of thefe laft parts not only ornamenting themfelves 

 wich thefe beautiful plumes, but adorning even their horfes 

 with the fame. 



I believe the whole of this race to be natives of New Guinea, 

 migrating into the neighbouring ifles for a time, "but returning 

 to New Guinea'm the breeding- feafon j and never at all found but 

 within a few degrees of the equator. 



The Dutch get them chiefly from 'Banda ; and it is there that 

 the ftory of their being without legs has been propagated, in 

 order to enhance the value. The natives of Aroo bring them 

 to that place by way of traffic, prepared as before mentioned, 

 and put into the hollow of a bamboo for further prefervation. 



We 



