Identifier: fourfeetwingsfin00mask (find matches)
Title: Four feet, wings, and fins
Year: 1879 (1870s)
Authors: Maskell, A. E. Anderson- Mrs
Subjects: Zoology
Publisher: Boston, D. Lothrop and Co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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hibitedthe dried skins of birds, and so bright and gloriouswere they that the Portuguese were awed and calledthem Birds from Heaven, and Birds of theSun. Afterwards other travelers thought they wereremnants left of the Garden of Eden and so calledthem Birds of Paradise. This name has clung tothem, and it is a very appropriate one; for that Adamand Eve ever looked on more beautiful birds isbeyond the imagination of man to conceive. Just imagine the forests of those islands which lie in theSouthern Ocean between Asia and Australia,thronged with these beautiful birds, glimmering incrimson and gold! One of these birds called the king-bird is no larger than the crow, its body arusset brown, its head and neck yellow, its breastgreen, its crowning glory two long tufts of hair-likefeathers, projecting from under its wings, just thecolor of the sun, almost too bright and glorious to lookupon, and when the owner is in motion these feath-ers are raised up like the peacocks tail, over-shadow- 344
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The Bird of Paradise. THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. ing the rest of its body. The nest of the bird-of-paradise has never yet been found, and this hasgiven rise to many fables. Different writers reportthat these beautiful birds never touch the ground,that they roost suspended by their two long feathersto a tree ; that the eggs are deposited by the female inan orifice in the males body, where they are hatched.These stories are very absurd; at least I have seenthese birds standing upon the ground my own self,and as for food, they are exceedingly fond of cock-roaches, thus proving they are earthly. It seemsthat nearly all the grandest adjectives and richestSuperlatives in language have been heaped uponthese birds of gorgeous plumage. One is called the* greater bird-of-paradise, another, the golden-bird-of-paradise, another the superb bird-of-paradise,the king bird-of-paradise, the magnificent bird-of-paradise, etc., etc. The skins of these birds arevery valuable, being sent to all parts o

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