Book II. %3\£IT HO LO gr. 9 i 



fa- — . ■ ■ — 



Chap. XIII. 

 Of the federal forts of 'Birds of farad fe. * 



* Aldrovandus his fijiBird ofParadife. 



F 



Orbignefs and {hape of body, beheI4 fingly, it comes near to ^.Swallow. t The Its bignefs, 

 feathers inverting it are of feveral colours, very beautiful anrfovely to be- Colour, 

 hold. The Head like that of a Swallow, and great for the fmalnas of the bo- Hea( j, 

 dy 5 the feathers covering its upper part from, the firft Vertebre of the Neck to the 

 beginning of the Bill were fbort, thick, hard, clofe-fet, of a brightl gliftering, yel- 

 low colour, {hining like burnifhed Gold, or the Sun-beams : The rem which covered 

 the Chin were of an admirable bluilh green, fuchaswe fee in the heaos-of Mallards, 

 when expofed to the Sun(hine. The Bill was longer than that of a Sw^l/ow : The its Bill, 

 Wing-feathers for {hape like thofe of Herons, only flenderer and longer, of a (hining Win £ Si 

 dusky colour between black and red : which together with the Tail being fpread 

 round reprefent the likenefs of a Wheel: For they are abfolutely immovable, ftick- 

 ingin the skin like fo many darts. Befides which there are alfo other fmall feathers, 

 and thofe verily not a few^ which fpring up juft by the originals of the greater fea- 

 thers that makeup the Wings, and cover the fewer parts of them. Thefe are half 

 red or Scarlet-coloured, half of a {hining, Saffron, or Gold colour -, and by reafonof 

 that remarkable and lingular difparity of colours contribute much to the beauty and 

 elegancy of this bird. All the reft of the body was covered with * fulvous feathers * of theco" 

 inclining to red [ ruffiim, ~] yet fo,that (till one might obfer ve iome difference between |? ar of s° ld - 

 them. For thofe on' the Breaft and^elly, which ftood thicker, and were like wife reftoftL' * 

 broader (being of two or three inched breadth ) were of a fulvous or rather liver body. 

 colour, and that very; bright and refplenclentf Thofe on the Back ftood tMnner,and 

 were fewer, gaping moreover with large divilions, after the manner, exa&ly of thofe 

 growing on the backs of. Herons. [ I fiippofe he means thefeveral threads or filaments 

 which compofe the web of the feather ftood thinner or at greater diftances,as in thofe 

 of a PeacocksTati-~] Neither do they attain that eminent breadth, or match them in 

 that excellent liver-colour } but are rather of a purple, refembling flefti or fome- 

 what more obfcure. Thofe tw® filaments which fpring out of the back are in a man- 

 ner black. 



§• H. 



^ '-j * Aldrovandus his fecond Bird of Paradife. 



THis differed from the reft, efpecially in that it had in its Rump two very long 

 feathers, exceeding the reft about two palms length : The Head was almoft colour of the 

 white, befprinkled with yellow and golden fpots : The eyes likewife yellow, the " ead > 

 hairs of the Eye-lids red : The Bill of a middle colour between yellow and green,t wo B in } 

 inches long 5 the upper part a little crooked : The Tongue red, long, {harp, not un- Tongue, 

 like that of Woodpeckers^ very fit to ftrike Infefrs. The Breaft was fomewhat red : Breaft,' 

 The Belly, Back and Wings were white : Yet were their upper fides all over, and wings' 

 their ends ferrugineous. The Back at firft feemed to incline fomewhat to yellow, Back. 

 but about the Rump it changed to a red or ferrugineous. In the lengthjof the Wings, 

 which equalled five Palms, it exceeded the firft fpecies. The Tail feathers at their The Tail; 

 infertion into the back were white, elfe ferrugineous, longer than in trj.e firft Species. 



This Bird wanted thofe two threads, which ( as I faid before ) grow out of the 

 backs of all this kind. Wherefore it is to be thought that either by reafbn of the 

 length of the journey, or continuance of time, they fell away and were' loft 3 not that 

 it is therefore to be called a Female,as the Vulgar have been hitherto falfly perfwadede 

 The ufe of the two forementioned long feathers mav perchance be for fwifter 

 flight 6 , J r 



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