200 THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



Before much was known about this bird it was thought that 

 it had no legs and never ahghted on trees. People believed that it 

 was always on the wing, only occasionally resting by hanging to a 

 branch by its wiry tail-feathers. This belief originated in the fact 

 that the bird was only known from the skins which the natives of 

 New Guinea used for ornament, and from which the legs had 

 been removed. It has, of course, legs like every other bird. 



The Bird of Paradise lives chiefly upon insects, and as it darts 

 about in the sun after its prey it makes a very wonderful spectacle. 

 It lives in large flocks, and builds high up in the forest trees. 

 Very little, however, is known of its habits, for it is an extremely 

 shy bird. 



The bright colours and beautiful plumage of the Bird of Para- 

 dise may be said to be its glory and its curse ; for they have made 

 it much sought after for purposes of adornment. But this may be 

 said of many exquisitely beautiful birds, some of which have even 

 been exterminated. 



We must take this as a description of a typical " Bird of Para- 

 dise'', for there are a good many different species, which have a wide 

 distribution. 



THE STARLINGS (Family SxURNlD^) 



This family comprises a large number of species, which are 

 scattered over the world. Of these the common Starling is a good 

 type. 



Is the starling a friend of the farmer, or not? Undoubtedly it 

 is, and one of the very best friends that he has. If it were not for 

 the starling his pastures would soon be spoilt, and a great deal of 

 his corn destroyed. And in a very few years' time he would find 

 it hardly possible to grow either corn or grass. 



If we were to get up very early in the morning and go down 

 to the meadows, we should find the starlings hard at work. Quite 

 a large number of them would be there, walking about briskly on 

 the grass, and every now and then plunging their beaks into the 

 ground and dragging something out. This is a worm or some 

 mischievous grub, which was causing a great deal of damage. If 



