180 



PARADISE BIRD. 



GENUS XIX— PARADISE BIRD. 



1 Greater Paradise Bird 



2 Smaller 



3 Doubtful 



4 Red 



5 King 



6 Magnificent 



7 Crested 



8 Superb 



9 Furcated 



10 Hackled 



11 Emerald-breasted 



12 Gold-breasted 



13 Blue-green 

 A Var. 



14 Gorget 



15 White-winged 



16 Frosted 



17 Crisped 



18 Twelve-wired 

 A Wayghihu 



19 White 



20 Golden 

 A Var. 



-1 HE bill in this Genus is slightly bent, the base covered with 

 velvet-like feathers. 



Nostrils small, concealed in the feathers. 



Tail of ten or m re feathers ; in some the two middle ones, in 

 others more, very long, and webbed only at the base, and tips. 



Legs and feet large and strong ; toes placed three before and one 

 behind. 



The whole of this Genus have, till lately, been very imperfectly 

 known, few cabinets possessing more than the greater, or common 

 one, with, perhaps, the King Species ; nor has any set of birds given 

 rise to more fables, to be found in most of the early authors : such as 

 their never touching the ground ; living wholly on dew ; being 

 produced without legs ; and many such like stories, too ridiculous 

 to mention ; and the last error is not at this time wholly disbelieved. 



The circumstance which seems to have occasioned it, did not at 

 first, perhaps, proceed from an intention to deceive, but was merely 

 accidental. 



In those parts of the world which produce these birds, the natives 

 made u^ of th m as Aigrettes, and other ornaments of dress, and in 

 course threw away the less brilliant | arts. The only trouble taken 

 was merely to skin them, and after pulling off the legs, and coarser 

 parts of the wings, &c. to thrust a stick down the throat into the body, 



