in ornithology; a genus of birds belonging to the order of pice. The beak is covered with a belt or collar of downy feathers at the base; and the feathers on the sides are very long.

"Birds of this genus (says Latham) have the bill slightly bending; the base covered with velvet-like feathers. The nostrils are small, and concealed by the feathers. The tail consists of 10 feathers; the two middle ones, and sometimes more in several of the species, are very long, and webbed only at the base and tips. The legs and feet are very large and strong; they have three toes forward, one backward, and the middle connected to the outer one as far as the first joint. The whole of this genus have, till lately, been very imperfectly known; few cabinets possessing more than one species, viz. the Greater, or what is called the common bird of Paradise; nor has any set of birds given rise to more fables, the various tales concerning which are to be found in every author; such as, their never touching the ground from their birth to death; living wholly on the dew; being produced without legs; and a hundred such stories, too ridiculous even to mention. This last error is scarcely at this moment wholly eradicated. The circumstance which gave rise to it did not indeed at first proceed from an intention to deceive, but merely from accident. In the parts of the world which produce these birds, the natives make use of them as aigrettes, and other ornaments of dress; and in course threw away the less brilliant parts. The whole trouble they were at on this occasion, was merely to skin the bird, and, after pulling off the legs, coarser parts of the wings, &c., thrust a stick down the throat into the body, letting an inch or two hang out of the mouth, beyond the bill; on the bird's dying, the skin collapsed about the stick, which became fixed, and supported the whole. They had then no more to do than to put this end of it into a socket fitted to receive it, or fasten it in some manner to the turban, &c. By degrees these were imported into the other isles for the same uses, and afterwards were coveted by the Japanese, Chinese, and Persians, in whose countries they are frequently seen, as well as in many parts of India; the grandees of these last parts not only ornamenting themselves with these beautiful plumes, but adorning even their horses with the same."

The Portuguese first found these birds on the island of Gilolo, the Papua islands, and New Guinea; and they were known by the name of birds of the sun. The inhabitants of Ternate call them manuco dewata, the "bird of God;" whence the name manuco diata, used by some naturalists, is derived. According to some fabulous accounts, this bird has no legs, lives constantly on wing, and in the air; and, in confirmation of these accounts, the legs of all the dead birds offered to sale were cut off. But the inhabitants of Aroo, who resort yearly to Banda, undeceived the Dutch, and freed them from those prejudices. Another reason for cutting off the legs is, that the birds are more easily preserved Paradisea without them; besides that the Moors wanted the birds without legs, in order to put them on in their mock-fights as ornaments to their helmets. The inhabitants of Aroo, however, have brought the birds with legs for 80 or 90 years; and Pijafetta, shipmate of Ferdinand Magellan, proved, about the year 1525, an eye-witness that these creatures were not without legs. However, the peculiar length and structure of their scapular feathers hinders them from settling, in high winds, on trees; and when they are thrown on the ground by these winds, they cannot rise again. If taken by the natives, they are immediately killed, as their food is not known; and they defend themselves with great courage with their formidable bills.

Latham enumerates eight species, but suspects there may be more. We shall satisfy ourselves with the following:

1. The largest bird of Paradise is commonly two feet four inches in length; the head is small; the bill hard and long, of a pale colour. The head and back-part of the neck is lemon-coloured, a little black about the eyes; about the neck, the bird is of the brightest glossy emerald green, soft like velvet; as is also the breast, which is black; the wings are large, and chestnut-coloured; the back-part of the body is covered with long, straight, narrow feathers, of a pale brown colour, similar to the plumes of the ostrich. These feathers are spread when the bird is on the wing; for which reason he can keep very long in the air. On both sides of the belly are two tufts of stiff and shorter feathers, of a golden yellow, and shining. From the rump proceed two long stiff shafts, which are feathered on their extremities.

These birds are not found in Key, an island fifty Dutch miles east of Banda; but they are found at the Aroo islands, lying 15 Dutch miles farther east than Key, during the wetter or dry monsoon; and they return to New Guinea as soon as the easterly or wet monsoon sets in. They come always in a flock of 30 or 40, and are led by a bird which the inhabitants of Aroo call the king. This leader is black, with red spots; and constantly flies higher than the rest of the flock, which never forsake him, but settle as soon as he settles: a circumstance that frequently proves their ruin when the king lights on the ground, whence they are not able to rise on account of the singular structure and disposition of their plumage. They are likewise unable to fly with the wind, which would ruin their loose plumage; but take their flight constantly against it, cautious not to venture out in hard blowing weather, as a strong wind frequently obliges them to come to the ground. During their flight they cry like starlings. Their note, however, approaches more to the croaking of ravens; which is heard very plainly when they are in distress from a fresh gale blowing on the back of their plumage. In Aroo, these birds settle on the highest trees, especially on the ficus benjamina of the hortus malabaricus, commonly called the soaring tree. The natives catch them with bird-lime or in nooses, or shoot them with blunt arrows; but though some are still alive when they fall into their hands, the catchers kill them immediately, and sometimes cut the legs off; then they draw out the entrails, dry and fumigate the bodies. Paradise, dies with sulphur or smoke only, and sell them at Banda for half a rix dollar each; but at Aroo they may be bought for a spike-nail or a piece of old iron. Flocks of these birds are often seen flying from one island to the other against the wind. In case they find the wind become too powerful, they fly straight up into the air, till they come to a place where it is less agitated, and then continue their flight. During the eastern monsoon their tails are moulted, so that they have them only during four months of the western monsoon.

2. The smaller bird of Paradise is about 20 inches long. His beak is lead-coloured, and paler at the point. The eyes are small, and inclosed in black about the neck. The head and back of the neck are of a dirty yellow; the back of a greyish yellow; the breast and belly of a dusky colour; the wings small, and chestnut-coloured. The long plumage is about a foot in length, and paler than in the large species; as in general the colours of this bird are less bright than the former. The two long feathers of the tail are constantly thrown away by the natives. This is in all respects like the greater fort; and they likewise follow a king or leader, who is, however, blacker, with a purplish cast, and finer in colour than the rest. The neck and bill are larger in the male than in the female. They roost on the tops of the highest trees, and do not migrate like the other kind. Some say, that the birds of this species, finding themselves weak through age, soar straight towards the sun till they are tired, and fall dead to the ground. The natives draw the entrails, fear the birds with a hot iron, and put them in a tube of bamboo for preservation.

3. and 4. The large black bird of Paradise is brought without wings or legs for sale; so that no accurate description of it hath yet been given. Its figure, when fluffed, is narrow and round, but stretched in length to the extent of four spans. The plumage on the neck, head, and belly, is black and velvet-like, with a hue of purple and gold, which appears very strong. The bill is blackish, and one inch in length. On both sides are two bunches of feathers, which have the appearance of wings, although they be very different, the wings being cut off by the natives. This plumage is soft, broad, similar to peacocks feathers, with a glorious glofs and greenish hue, and all bent upwards; which Valentine thinks is occasioned by the birds being kept in hollow bamboo-reeds. The feathers of the tail are of unequal length; those next to the belly are narrow, like hair; the two uppermost are much longer, and pointed; those immediately under them are a span and a half longer than the upper ones; they are stiff, on both sides fringed with a plumage like hair, black above, but glossy below. Birds of this kind are brought only from one particular place of New Guinea. Besides the large black bird of Paradise, there is still another fort, whose plumage is equal in length, but thinner in body, black above, and without any remarkable glofs, not having those shining peacock-feathers which are found on the greater species. This wants likewise the three long pointed feathers of the tail belonging to the larger black species.

5. The white bird of Paradise is the most rare, and has two varieties; one quite white, and the other black and white. The former is very rare. The second has Paradiso, the fore-part black, and the back part white; with Paradox, 12 crooked wiry shafts, which are almost naked, tho', in some places, covered with hairs.

6. In the year 1689 a new species of the black bird of Paradise was seen in Ambryna. This was only one foot in length, with a fine purple hue, a small head, and a straight bill. On its back, near the wings, are feathers of a blue and purple colour, as on the other birds of Paradise; but under the wings and over all the belly they are yellow coloured, as in the common fort: on the back of the neck they are mouse-coloured mixed with green. It is remarkable in this species, that there are before the wings two roundish tufts of feathers, which are green-edged, and may be moved at pleasure by the bird, like wings. Instead of a tail, he has 12 or 13 black, naked, wire-like shafts, hanging promiscuously like feathers. His legs are strong, and have sharp claws. The head is remarkably small; and the eyes are also small, and surrounded with black.

7. The last species we shall mention is the king's bird. This creature is about seven inches long, and somewhat larger than a titmouse. Its head and eyes are small; the bill straight; the eyes included in circles of black plumage; the crown of the head is flame-coloured; the back of the neck blood-coloured; the neck and breast of a chestnut colour, with a ring of the brightest emerald-green. Its wings are in proportion strong; and the quill-feathers dark, with red shining plumes, spots, and stripes. The tail is straight, short, and brown. Two long naked black shafts project from the rump, at least a hand-breadth beyond the tail; having at their extremities semilunar twisted plumage, of the most glaring green colour above, and dusky below. The belly is white and green sprinkled; and on each side is a tuft of long plumage, feathered with a broad margin, being on one side green and on the other dusky. The back is blood-red and brown, shining like silk. The legs are in size like those of a lark, three fore-toes and one back-toe. This bird associates not with any of the other birds of Paradise; but sits solitary from bush to bush, wherever he sees red-berries, without ever getting on tall trees.

Those who wish for minuter information respecting this curious genus, we must refer to Latham's Synopsis, and Buffon's Birds, vol. ix. &c.