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472 PARADISE BIRD. 



Spring a great quantity of feathers, with the webs fo loofe as to 

 appear like a herring-bone, fome of them near eighteen inches 

 in length j thefe are of different colours, fome cheftnut and 

 purplifhy others yellowifh, and a few almofl white -. from the 

 rump arife two feathers without webs, except for four inches 

 next the bafe, and the fame at the tips ; thefe appear to be the 

 two middle tail feathers, and are the fame colour as the reft of 

 the tail, the feathers of which are fix inches long, and even at 

 the ends : the legs are flout, and of a brown colour. 

 Female. The female is faid to be like the male, except that the long 



wire-like feathers of the tail have the webs fhorter than thofe of 

 the male. They are faid to moult, and be without their long 

 feathers for four months in the year. 

 Place, Thefe birds are found in the Molucca iflands, and thofe fur- 



rounding New Guinea, particularly in the ifle of Aroo : the Am- 

 ■boynans call them Manu-key-aroo •, the natives of Ternate, Burong- 

 j>apua, or Papua Birds ; alfo Manuco-dewata, and Soffu or Sioffu. 

 At Aroo they are called Fanaan. They are fuppofed to breed in 

 New Guinea, coming from thence into Aroo at the wejlerly or dry 

 monjoon; and are found there during the continuance of it ; return- 

 ing to New Guinea when the eafterly or wet monfoon fets in. They 

 are feen going and returning, in flights of thirty or forty, led by a 

 king, which is conftantly feen to fly higher than the reft : during 

 this flight, they cry like Starlings. They are obferved to take the 

 advantage of flying againft the wind, when it blows only mode- 

 rate ; butwhen in diftrefs, from'the Shifting of the wind, or blow- 

 ing too ftrong, croak like Ravens. Sometimes, by thefhifting o 

 the winds, their long fcapular feathers are difhevelled, which 

 quite hinders their flight ; in that cafe, are loft in the water, or fall 

 on the ground; which if they do, they cannot rife again without 

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