( ) 
The Golden Bird of Paradise. 
H E Bird is here figured of its natural Bignefs; it hath a pretty long and firong 
J| Bill in Proportion to its Size. 
The Bill is of a brownifh Colour toward the Head, and black at the Point, which 
bends downward a very little. The Eyes feemed in the dried Bird very fmall, (fo as 
to be but juft perceptible) placed on the Sides of the Head, pretty near, and juft over 
the Angles of the Mouth. Between the Eyes and Bill, and almoft round the Bill, it 
has black Feathers like Plufh or Velvet, narrow at the Bafe of the upper Mandible 3 
from the lower Mandible of the Bill it extends itfelf about an Inch down the Throat. 
The Head, upper Side of the Neck, and the Back are cover’d with Feathers of an. 
exceeding fine, bright, reddifh Orange, or gold Colour, long and loofe on the Neck, 
like thofe of a domeftick Cock, and falling a little over the Breaft. The Breaft, Belly, 
and greater Feathers of the Wings are of a very beautiful Yellow, or pale Orange 3 the 
Covert-Feathers of the Wings are Black, with a fmall Mixture of Yellow. The 
golden or yellow Colour of this Bird is fo very bright, that it is far beyond my Art to 
imitate : The Tail is compofed of twelve Feathers, (it being, I believe, perfedt,) of a 
deep Black above, and a rufty or fainter Black beneath ; the Shafts of the Feathers be¬ 
neath appearing yellowifh. All the Tail-Feathers have a very narrow Fringe or Border 
of Yellow juft at their Tips. The Bird being brought from the Indies without Legs, 
I can fay nothing about them, but for the better Grace of the Figure, I have added 
Legs and Feet, of fuch a Form and Proportion, as I judged moft proper, from my 
Gbfervation of the other Species of Birds of Paradife , which I have feen with their 
Legs perfect. 
This Bird was brought from the Eajl-Indies by my good Friend, Capt. Ifaac Worthy 
a Commander in our Eajl-India Company’s Service, who prefented it to me. I take it 
to be abfolutely a Non-defcript, and I much regret that it was imperfedt in wanting 
Legs. I am alfo doubtful, whether fome of the greater Quills have not been taken 
away, (for it had only fix or feven in a Wing,) which it is very likely were Black, for 
moft Birds have the outer or Pinion-Quills of the Colour of their Tails ; but I have 
feen more than once in Voyagers, which I cannot recoiled!, an Account of the Indians 
drying and preparing thefe Birds for Merchandife amongft the military Men in the 
Oriental Countries, who ufe them as Plumes for their Caps, which maybe the Rea- 
fon why moft of thefe Birds are maimed, and deprived of fuch Parts as have no par¬ 
ticular Beauty in them, that they may not cover or obfcure the more beautiful Feathers. 
I have given it juft as it appear’d to me, with only the Addition of Legs. This Tribe 
feems to me to be rather a-kin to Pyes and Jays, than to the Hawk-Kind, as fome Au¬ 
thors have imagin’d. 
The Fly is in the Colledlion of Robert Nejbit , M. D. Fellow of the College of Phy- 
ficians, and of the Royal Society, London. The Body and under Wings are of a fine 
fhining Green, having the Luftre of polifhed Metal; the Tips of the Wings and their 
under Sides dufky or black; the upper Wings are of a light-brown Colour, very thin 
and tranfparent. It was brought from China ,. 
The 
