PARADISE BIRD. 183 



nine inches in length, but the rest are little more than six inches, and 

 are even at the end; legs stout, and brown. 



The female is like the male, but the two wire-like feathers of the 

 tail have shorter webs; these birds are said to moult, and to be 

 without these long feathers for four months in the year. 



Inhabits the Molucca Islands, and those surrounding New 

 Guinea, particularly in the Isle of Aroo ; the people of Amboyna 

 call them Manu-key-aroo ; the natives of Ternate, Burong papua, 

 or Papua Bird ; also Manuco-dewata, and Soffu, or Sioffu ; at Aroo 

 they are called Fanaan : supposed to breed in New Guinea, coining 

 from thence into Aroo, at the westerly, or dry Monsoon, and found 

 there during the continuance of it, returning to New Guinea when 

 the east or wet Monsoon sets in ; they are seen going and returning, 

 in flights of twenty or thirty, led by a king, which is observed 

 constantly to fly higher than the rest; during this flight they cry 

 like Starlings, and fly against the wind, if moderate, but when in 

 distress, from its shifting, or blowing too strong, they croak like 

 Ravens, and in this case their long scapular feathers become 

 dishevelled, which quite hinders their flight, and they are lost in 

 the water, or fall on the ground, in which latter case they are unable 

 to rise again, without gaining an eminence ; in this state they are 

 watched by the natives, who secure many, and kill them on the 

 spot, as it is said they cannot be kept alive by art,# and the traffic 

 in these birds is one part of their trade ; they are also taken with 

 birdlime, t when they settle in trees, or shot with blunt arrows. 

 They are sold at Banda, and its vicinity, for half a rix dollar, but 

 the people of Aroo are content with a spike nail for each. 



The food of these birds is not known for certain, since the accounts 

 given by Authors differ widely ; some affirm, that they feed on 



f The late Mr. Pennant furnished us with an instance to the contrary, from Sir Joseph 

 Banks ; one of them having been brought alive to England. — hid. Zool. 4to. 13. note x. 

 t Said to be prepared from the juice of Sukkom, or Bread-fruit (Artocarpus). 



