no ) 
The greater Bird of Pa radis e, 
HIS Bird feemed to me to be about the Size of a Black-Bird; the Bill mea- 
fur’d an Inch and three Quarters, the Wing when doled feven Inches, the long 
Shafts fpringing from the Rump twenty-feven Inches, the longeft of the foft ioofe 
Feathers fpringing from under the Wings twenty-one Inches; from Bill-point to the 
End of the common or (hotter Feathers of the Tail twelve Inches. 
The Bill is pretty ftraight, bending but little toward the Point, of a dirty, yellowifh, 
green Colour; the Noftrils are very near the Head; the Fore-part of the Headis cover’d 
with black Feathers like Plulh or Velvet, with a fhining Glofs, which encompafs the 
Bill above and beneath; the Throat or under Side of the Head is cover’d with green 
Feathers of the fame plufhy Structure, fhining with a golden Glofs; the upper Part 
of the Head is cover’d with other plufh-like Feathers of a fine, golden, yellow Colour, 
which extend on the Sides of the Neck, and almoft encompafs the Green on the 
Throat; the Eyes are fmall and placed very near the Bill; the Bread: is cover’d with 
Feathers of the common Stru&ure, and of a fine dark-blueifh Purple; all the reft 
of the Body, Back, Belly, Wings and Tail is of a bright-reddifh Chefnut-Colour ; 
the Infide of the Wings and the under Side of the Tail are of a darker and duller 
Brown than the Upper; from the Rump fpring what may be call’d the two middle 
Feathers of the Tail twenty-feven Inches long, being only meer Stems of Feathers with¬ 
out any Webs, like Horfe-hairs, but differ and dronger, of a black Colour; yet near their 
Bottoms or Roots, if examin’d, they will be found to have narrow Webs on both Sides 
of their Stems or Shafts, for about four Inches of their Length. This Bird is mod re¬ 
markable for the Plats of Feathers that fpring from under the Wings on each Side, and 
extend themfelves a great Way backward, beyond the common Feathers of the Taih 
Thefe Feathers are of a very fine Structure, exceeding light, and the Webs fo very open, 
that they may be feen through like Gaufe. The longer Feathers are of a light-reddifh 
Brown, the fhorter (that fall over them) of a very bright Yellow, with a Dafh of Red 
at each of their Tips. They fall either above or beneath the Tail, but are fo Ioofe 
astofhowthe Tail through them either Way. It hath Legs and Feet of a mode¬ 
rate Proportion and Strength for its Bignefs, fhaped much like thofe of Pyes or Jays, 
of a dark-brown Colour, armed with Claws of middling Strength. 
This Bird is preferved at Salter's Coffee-houfe in Chelfea , and is one of the mod perfedt I have 
met with. They are brought from the Eqft-Indies, and are generally imperfect, which has 
caufed them to be varioufly figur’d, and defcribed as different Species. I have feen other Birds 
of this Species, which differ from the above defcribed, in that their upper Sides of the Neck and 
Back were Yellow ; in having fome yellow Spots on the Covert-Feathers of their Wings; in 
having the longed Feathers of the Sides that form their Train of alight-yellow or whitifh Co¬ 
lour, and their Bills dufky or black, tho’ all diaped like the above defcribed, and apparently of 
the fame Species. I believe there may be found a dozen Defcriptions of this Bird, and there are 
four Figures in Willughhy, given as fo many didindl Species : But as none of thefe were fatis- 
fadtory to me, I have given this Figure and Defcription of a perfedt Bird, which may more 
than anfwer the Pur pole of fo many. Mr. Atbin, Vol. III. pag. 9. of his Hidory of Birds, has 
given us the lad and word Figure of this Bird, which, he fays, is from the Colledtion of Sir 
Thomas Lowther \ he has given no Defcription of it in Particular, but only extradled from 
Willughby fomething that is laid in general of this Genus. The Inhabitants of the Molucca 
Hands call them Manucodiat<e , that is God's Birds , as Aldrovandus reports. I have not been able 
by all my Searches into the Colledtions of Naturalids (where I have found many perfedt and im- 
perfedt) to difcover more than one Species of this Bird, with the flame-like Feathers extending 
to a great Length from under their Wings. 
C The 
C 
