ifli. The long feathers of the tail in the birds of 
this genus are highly efteemed by the natives of 
many of the tropical regions, and are much ufed in 
the ornamental drefles of the natives of the Southern 
iflands. They are particularly confpicuous on the 
awful and elegant ceremonial habits worn by the 
priefts at Otaheitee, as well as on thofe of the chief 
mourners at funerals in that ifland, which are fur- 
nilhed with a mafk or vrzor of nacre or mother of 
pearl Ihell, furrounded by the tail-feathers of thefe 
birds, evidently intended to reprefent the folar 
beams, and difpofed fo as to imitate the diverging 
rays of that luminary. Thefe birds depolit their 
eggs, which are generally two in number, in hol¬ 
lows near the roots of trees, in which they form a 
fort of carelefs neft with fragments of flicks, &c. 
