Birds. Lr. 



Vol. IK No. 36. 



REMARKABLE BIRDS, 



•Fig. i. "The magnificent Maeilura. 



. * ,*—^ I j 



(Maeimm -fu-perba.) 



,o'f,«^u ofl'iu n iS) -3x-3vr'/ tf> «'fron.: »st> 



ew - Holland this remarkable large Island of 

 the South- Sea • which in its extent a!coo|t equals 

 Europe, is in regard to natural Lifiory a true 

 land of wondezs , as the duck hilled Platypus (fee 

 No. go- of the HI. Vol. of this Picture Gallery) 

 and various other ftrange animals and buds, lately 

 found in it, fufficiently prove. Some time ago 

 the elegant wonderful bird, here reprefented, was 

 discovered by fomé Englishmen on a journey into 

 the inner parts of the Island. It is the magnißcent 

 Maenura which --apparently belongs to the tribe of 

 the birds ofParadiie.lt is about the fize of a common 

 hen; the principal colour of its body is blackish 

 changing into red - brown on the wings; the 

 thighs are covered with long blackish feathers; 

 and the head is ornamented with a loofe creft of 

 hair -like feathers.; but what deferves the moft 

 admiration in this elegant bird , is its tail, from 

 the middle of which two large feathers proceed 

 bending towards one another and beautifully 

 pencilled with orange -coloured arches of the ut- 

 inoft elegance. Between thefe two large feathers 

 two leffer ones arife which bending outwards are 

 of a blueish grey colour; and numbers of tender 

 hairlike feathers which refemble the fibres of 

 leaves , accomplish this wonderful firucture. 



The nourishment and manner of living of 

 this extraordinary bird is as yet entirely un- 

 known. 



Fig. 2. The Taylor - bird. 



{Motacilla fartoria.) 



In the Eaft- Indies the little birds and their 

 young- ones are continually expofed to different 

 dangers. Monkeys and ferpentä climb up the 

 trees, and creep and wind tbemfelves through 

 the branches in order to overtake the mothers 

 with their harmlefs broods, , Wife nature there- 

 fore protects the little defenceless bads by various 

 ingenious inftincts; and they build generally their 

 neri on the end of bending branches where the 

 animals of prey can not follow them. Eut itili 

 artfuller is the little ueft which the here reprefen- 

 ted Taylor - bird ÇA) alfo an inhabitant of the 

 E aft - Indies , builds. It chafes for the purpofe a 

 fallen leaf which it fows by the help of its bill 

 with the tender fibres of plants round the green, 

 leaf on a tree (IT) io, that the whole forms an 

 open bay. In this , when properly lined or filled 

 up with cotton and feathers , the female lays its 

 four little white eggs ; and thus defended againft 

 ali dangers, it quietly hatches its young. 



