ORNITHOLOGY. 



585 



Insessores. and two of the central tail-feathers extending far beyond 

 ^r^v-~~^ the others. It occurs chiefly in Mexico and California. 1 



In the genus Caryocatactes, Cuv., both mandibles are 

 equally pointed, and straight to the tips. The only spe- 

 cies known in Europe, called the nut-cracker (C. nucifra- 

 ffa), is an occasional visitant of Great Britain. Two others 

 have of late years been discovered in Asia, one of which 

 is figured by Mr Gould. They are all believed to inhabit 

 forests, especially those of mountainous countries, whence 

 at certain seasons they emigrate in large flocks. In their 

 climbing tendencies they make an approach to the habits 

 of the woodpeckers. 



The limited genus Temia, Vail., with the lengthened 

 tail and general proportions of the magpies, has the bill 

 elevated, the upper mandible bulged, and its base covered 

 by short velvety feathers. Example, Corvus varians, Lath. 

 (Phenotrix temia, Horsfield), of which the general plu- 

 mage is bronzed green, the head black. It occurs in Java 

 and elsewhere. 



In the genus Glaucopis, Forster, the bill resembles 

 that of the preceding ; but its base bears a pair of fleshy 

 caruncles. G. cinerea is the only known species. It is a 

 native of New Zealand, and was discovered during Captain 

 Cook's voyage. Its flesh is excellent. It is the cinereous 

 wattle-bird of Shaw. M. Temminck joins this and the 

 preceding genus into one. 



In the genus Coracias, Linn., containing the rollers, 

 the bill is strong, compressed towards the point, which is 

 slightly curved, and the nostrils are oblong, not covered 

 by the feathers, but placed at their margin. The feet are 

 short and strong. These birds are confined to the ancient 

 continents, and are remarkable for their beauty of plu- 

 mage, of which the colours are usually different shades of 

 purple, blue, and green. They are said to be wild and 

 unsociable, feeding on insects, and keeping themselves 

 concealed in the retirement of thick forests. The Euro- 

 pean species {Coracias garrula, Linn.) has been some- 

 times seen in Britain. The specimen in the Edinburgh 

 Museum was killed at Dunkeld. Although rare in France, 

 it is by no means uncommon in Sweden, where we would 

 not expect to find a species characteristic of the south of 

 Europe, and which is believed to winter in Barbary and 

 Senegal. It is not unfrequent in the gardens of Rome, 

 and is common in the Morea. It becomes very fat in ac- 

 tumn, and is much sought after during that season as an 

 article of food, especially by the inhabitants of the Cy- 

 clades. Several other kinds occur in Africa and the East. 

 Of these the Abyssinian species is distinguished by the 

 elongation of the lateral feathers of the tail. The Mada- 

 gascar roller, and some allied kinds, distinguished by a 

 shorter, more arched, and greatly broader bill, belong to 

 the genus Colaris, Cuv., synonymous with Eurystomus 

 of M. Vieillot. 



The genus Paradisea, Linn., with which we conclude 

 our abridgment of the conirostral tribe, contains the fa- 

 mous birds of paradise, so noted during our early inter- 

 course with eastern countries. The bill is straight, com- 

 pressed, rather strong, unnotched, the nostrils surrounded 

 by a close tissue of feathers of a velvet texture, sometimes 

 resplendent with metallic lustre. (See Plate CCCXCII. 

 fig. 8.) These birds are native to New Guinea and the 

 neighbouring islands, and in consequence of the delicately 

 graceful structure of their plumage, and the pure and beau- 

 tifully blended colours by which they are adorned, the spe- 

 cies in general may be regarded as the most highly prized 

 of all the feathered race. Their history was long obscure 

 as night, and even now we have but few features of their 

 character developed by the actual observation of trust- 

 worthy witnesses. We cannot be here expected to throw 



any new light upon the subject ; but we shall give a por-Insessoresi 



tion of the information which we have acquired from vari- ' <'~~' 



ous authors. 



In the second edition of Pennant's Indian Zoology, there 

 is a general description of the genus from Valentyn and 

 other writers, by Dr J. R. Forster, preceded by a learned 

 disquisition on the fabulous phcenix of antiquity, a bird of 

 the size of an eagle, decorated with gold and purple plumes, 

 and more particularly described by Pliny as being charac- 

 terized by the splendour of gold around the neck, with the 

 rest of the body purple, the tail blue varied with rose- 

 colour, the face adorned with combs or wattles, and the 

 head furnished with a crest. This excellently adorned 

 phcenix Dr Forster very properly supposes to have been 

 no other than a symbolical Egyptian illustration of the 

 annual revolution of the sun, and the conversion of the 

 great year, which, according to Manilius, corresponds with 

 the supposed life of the phcenix, and from which period 

 the same course of seasons and position of the heavenly 

 bodies are renewed. Now, though it is certain, as Dr 

 Forster observes, that the birds of paradise were never 

 known to ancient writers, and that whatever the Egyp- 

 tian priests delivered concerning their fabulous phcenix 

 has no apparent agreement with the birds in question, yet 

 it is remarkable enough that the names applied to them, 

 both by Indian and European nations, attribute something 

 of a supposed celestial origin. Dr Shaw, however, thinks 

 that this notion has in all probability arisen merely from 

 their transcendent beauty, and the singular and delicate 

 disposition of their plumage. The Portuguese who navi- 

 gated to the Indian islands called them Passaros da Sol, 

 in like manner as the Egyptians regarded their imaginary 

 bird as symbolizing the annual revolution of that great 

 luminary. The inhabitants of the island of Ternate call 

 them Manuco-Dewata, or the Birds of God. 2 



The great bird of paradise (Paradisea apcda, Linn., 

 so called from its supposed want of legs), the first of the 

 genus made known to Europeans, was imported about the 

 year 1522, by Antony Pigafetta, who accompanied Ma- 

 gellan in his voyage round the world. Pigafetta was sa- 

 tisfied by ocular demonstration from the first, that this 

 bird, like every other, was supplied with legs, but that the 

 natives cut them off, as parts of no importance. In con- 

 sequence, however, of this prevailing if not universal mu- 

 tilation, a notion soon obtained in Europe that the bird 

 was naturally destitute of these common-place but useful 

 organs, and that consequently it floated for ever in the air, 

 winnowing with loving wings the gentle breezes, or at times 

 suspending itself for a few brief moments from some lofty 

 sun-illumined tree, by the two peculiar lengthened filaments 

 with which it is adorned. In accordance with this belief, 

 it was of course consistent to suppose, that whatever indi- 

 viduals were obtained " on this dim spot which men call 

 earth," had fallen from their aerial heights immediately be- 

 fore their dissolution. Even Aldrovandus, the most zeal- 

 ous naturalist of his age, having himself seen only such 

 specimens as had been mutilated in the usual manner, ac- 

 cuses Pigafetta of audacious falsehood in asserting that 

 the bird was naturally furnished both with legs and feet ; 

 and the great Scaliger, himself a naturalist of no mean or- 

 der, gave equal credit to this foolish fancy. 



The true residence or breeding-place of these birds 

 seems to be Papua or New Guinea, from whence they 

 make occasional excursions to some smaller neighbouring 

 islands. They fly in flocks of about thirty or forty, led, it 

 is alleged, by a single bird which the natives call their 

 king, but which is said to be of a different species. It is 

 further pretended, that when this bird settles, the whole 

 flight settle also, in consequence of which they sometimes 



The Birds of America, plate xcvi. 



Shaw's Genera! Zoology, vol. vii. p. 4/9. 



