. The Aviary, or, Child's book of birds . d moisture, than that of any other birds individual feathers are beautifully formed;_ andmore compactly laid than those of any others, if ^ weexcept the under parts especially, of those birdswhich are almost constantly in the water without evergetting wet. One of the most curious of the humming-birds,is the one seen on the opposite page. It is calledthe bartailed humming-bird. It is a most singularspecies, and considerably larger than many of theothers. The tail is the most singular part of thisbird. It consists of two parts, standing out
. The Aviary, or, Child's book of birds . d moisture, than that of any other birds individual feathers are beautifully formed;_ andmore compactly laid than those of any others, if ^ weexcept the under parts especially, of those birdswhich are almost constantly in the water without evergetting wet. One of the most curious of the humming-birds,is the one seen on the opposite page. It is calledthe bartailed humming-bird. It is a most singularspecies, and considerably larger than many of theothers. The tail is the most singular part of thisbird. It consists of two parts, standing out at anangle to each other like the letter V. Altogether, itis one of the most singular appendages to be metwith in the whole feathered creation; and though weare not very well informed with regard to the man-ners of many of the family, the strong fortification ofcoverts which this tail possesses would lead us to con-clude that it is capable of some corresponding actionwhich is essential to the welfare of the bird. a CHILD S BOOK OF Emerald Binl malo. CUiLl) S BOOK OK. BIRDS. EMERALD BIRD OF PARADISE. The Birds of Paradise are natives of New Guinea,and the adjacent islands, and consist of a number ofspecies, but the best known is the Great or EmeraldBird of Paradise, about the size of a Thrush. Thewings arc large, compared with the birds other dimen-sions ; the feathers of the hinder part of the breastand belly are singularly extended into bunches, hung-er than the body; and the tail, measuring six inches,is of equal length with it; but what chiefly attractsnotice is two naked filaments, which spring fromabove the tail, and are two feet long, of a deep blackcolor, bearded at the insertion and at the point, withdowny feathers of a changeable hue. The female iswithout these floating plumes of the male. Thesebirds are gregarious, always seen in large fliocks, andperching at night upon the same tree. They live onfruits, and are said to be particularly fond of aro-
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1856
