474 



F A E A H I S E BIRD, 



Var. A. 



4- LESSER 



P. B. 



Smaller Bird of Paradife, from Papua. Forr.Voy. p. 137. 



Bescriptiok. ^TpHIS is every way, in make and fhape, like the former, but 

 A is lefs in fize ; the length, with the fcapular feathers in- 

 cluded, being not more than twenty-one inches. The bill is lead- 

 coloured, with the point yellowifh, one inch and a half in length % 

 the eye furrounded with black: forehead and chin covered with 

 velvety black feathers, reflecting a glofs of green :. throat and 

 fore part of the neck wholly green :. the top of the head, nape, 

 and half the neck behind, ferruginous yellow; lower half quite 

 yellow : the back is likewife yellow, with a dirty greyifh caft : 

 breaft, belly, wings, and tail, cLeftnut : from the upper part of 

 the tail fpring two wire-like fhafts, as in the former bird, and a 

 tuft of herring-bone feathers from beneath each wing ; thefe are 

 either of a delicate white,, or light yellow, the laft chiefly on the 

 fides, where many of the fhorter ones have purple tips. 



This bird is faid to be found only in the Papua (/lands, where it: 

 is called Shag,, or Shague ; by the people of female, Toffu, or 

 Boorong-papuwa. It is recorded, that the Papuans intoxicate 

 them -with Cocculus indicus,Ao as to catch them with the hand: 

 they then draw out the bowels, fear the infide with a red-hot 

 iron, and afterwards put each into the hollow of a Bamboo for 

 prefervation. I have reafon to believe that they do more than 

 fimply exenterate them, as I have ever found that the fkins only 

 were preferved, and that in moll, if not all, even the bones of 

 theftull were taken away ; whence the head, perhaps fmall by 

 nature, appeared ftill lefs than it fhould be t . 



ft Theff 



Place an» 

 Manners. 



