* 
( ”3 ) 
The Pyed Bird u/ Paradise. 
T HIS Bird is here figured of its natural Bignefs, but as the Plate would not 
take in the Length of the two extraordinary long Feathers of the Tail, I have 
added a Draught in fmall, to fhow the Proportion of the Tail to the Body. Thefe 
long Feathers of the Tail are each of them fifteen Inches long., 
The Bill is dufky or Black, compreffed like a Duck’s Bill, fo that the Angles of 
the Mouth are at a good Diftance, which inlarges the Swallow. At the Bafe of the 
upper Mandible are placed ftiff, black Hairs, Sanding out forward like the Smellers 
in Quadrupeds ; the Eyes are placed over the Angles of the Mouth ; the Head and 
Neck are wholly Black, having a Creft of loofe (lender Feathers bending backward, 
which I fuppofe it can either ere<d or let fall on the Neck at Pleafure. The Body (ex- 
clufive of the Wings) is wholly White. The prime Quills are black, except a little 
Whitenefs at their Roots or Bottoms, as is what is called the Baftard-Wing, which 
covers their Bottoms} the Quills that are next the Back are Black in their middle Parts, 
border’d all round their Edges with White, as is the Row of Covert-Feathers im- 
mediately above them 5 the lefTer Covert-Feathers of the Wing are white, with a very 
fine Dafh of Black drawn down the Middle of each Feather } the Covert-Feathers 
within Side of the Wings are purely White. The Tail is long like that of aMagpye, 
the Feathers gradually increafing in Length from the Sides to the Middle; the two 
middle Feathers (hooting out to a great Excefs, being about ten Inches longer than the 
other Feathers. The Tail-Feathers are White, the (hotter, tipped and bordered with a 
Fringe of Black; the long ones have each a fmall Da(h of Black at their Tips. The Shafts 
of the Tail-Feathers are Black, except fo much of the long Feathers as (hoot beyond 
the Shorter. The Legs and Feet are of a Lead-Colour, the Nails or Claws of the 
fame; the Legs are rather (lender than ftrong in Proportion ; the Feet are like thofe of 
the King’s-Fifher, the middle and outer Toe on each Foot being join’d together al- 
moft to the Claws, and the middle and inner Toe to the firft Joint. 
I have feen three of thefe Birds preferved dry in London , and they being all in the Hands 
of my Friends, I have been favoured with the Ufe of thetn to complete this Draught and 
Defcription. One of them is in the Cabinet of Sir Hans Sloane , Baronet ; the other in that of 
Dr. Mead , and the third in the Hands of the Family of the late curious Mr. Dandridge. I 
muff acknowledge that this Bird has been defcribed by Mr. Pefcver, (fee his Defcription in Ray’s 
Sinopjis Methodica Avium , P. 193. Tab. 2. N°. 13.) but as his Figure is fmall, and not cor- 
red, and his Defcription too brief, I hope the curious will not think my Labour loft. In Albert 
Seba’s Natural Hiftory, Vol. I. P. 48. the crefied moft rare Bird of Para dife, and P. 85. the black 
and white Oriental Bird of Paradife , both feem to be the above defcribed, differing, as I take it, 
only in Age or Sex. Tho’ the above Authors have placed this Bird with the Manucodiata , I 
can by no Means agree with them ; it being generally different, in having no Velvet-like Fea- 
thers about the Head, no gay or fhining Colouring, and the Feet weaker and of a quite dif- 
ferent Strudure, as well as in having ftiff long Briftles or Hairs above the Angles of the Mouth. 
I have not much examin’d into the Merits of Sebal s Figures and Defcriptions ; they may be 
very well *, but as his Hiftory is an expenfive Work, and not publifhed in our Country or Lan- 
guage, his having publifhed any Subjed can be no good Reafon why I fhould not give an ori- 
ginal Figure with a Defcription immediately from Nature, in our own Language. 
The 
