47 



eyes arftlilce carn^iaa stoneB, and its b&ir is jet black, aleelc 

 and flexible^ aa soft as a pillow. It is very fond of eating 

 thiek Chinese iQk, and whenever people write, it sits with 

 folded backdd and crossed legs, wailing till the writing la 

 finiaiied, when itSdrinks up the remaiiider of the ink ; which 

 dooe, it. squats down as before ; and doei not frisk about ua- 

 aecessarily. I Ong-le-ho^ used to keep one at 

 the head of bis ink-stoue, or ia the middle of his seal-bo^. 



THE BIRD OF PARADISE 



Is found about Banda and Amboyna ; itt appearance i» 

 like a variegated pheasaol ; it remains among ihe clouds, 

 drinking fog and eating mist, and never sets foot on the earth, 

 until it dies, when it falls to the ground.* Its feathers are 

 very light and loose, soft and pliable ; al the end of the 

 winga are two beautiful feathers, more than a foot long j its 

 tail 18 like that of the swalbvej which it trails in a graceful 

 manner, and when borne along by the wind, it aoars irre- 

 aistibly away. 



CASSOWARY OR ^ ^ THE STAG BIRB 



Is found in liie bills of Amboyna ; in appearance it is like 

 a large stork, only twiee the size ; its coat resembles a deer's 

 skin; its tail is short and it has no wings ; its voice ia like 

 that of ft drake ; the foot has only three toes, and no spur 

 behind ; fta food is coarse, consisting of the leaves of trees, 

 fruit, grairtj <fcc. 



BOA CONSTRICTOR, Om^^jlf^ ELIPH ANT-SIJSPENDING 



SNAKB. 



In the country of Palenibang (J^ O Kang-k'aou)^ there 

 are many elephants, which are used in war. Formerly an 

 old elephant was killed by a snake, and the elephani-kee|>er 



* The Chlneie writer has probabiy beea led to form this opinion 

 from the circumstance of the birds ef paradise bemgpnerally brought 

 to Bata\ia fcr eaie in the dead stale . Thay have, however^ frequ enlly 

 hten preiierved alive for years. 



