. Boys and birds; or, Miss Truat's mission . ach other and sparkle with a bril-liancy indescribable. Add to this a peculiar graceof form and movement, and the claims of the birdfor pre-eminence will not be disputed. This is thevariety of the class most sought after for the cage,and on account of its plumes; hence the natives arediligent in hunting its native haunts. There are several other varieties of these birds;but having feasted our eyes on the chief beauty, wewill let the rest pass, and notice one of a somewhatdifferent class, but of almost equal splendor ofplumage and a native of the sam
. Boys and birds; or, Miss Truat's mission . ach other and sparkle with a bril-liancy indescribable. Add to this a peculiar graceof form and movement, and the claims of the birdfor pre-eminence will not be disputed. This is thevariety of the class most sought after for the cage,and on account of its plumes; hence the natives arediligent in hunting its native haunts. There are several other varieties of these birds;but having feasted our eyes on the chief beauty, wewill let the rest pass, and notice one of a somewhatdifferent class, but of almost equal splendor ofplumage and a native of the same countries—theTwelve-thread Plume-bird. (Fig. 76.) Only look atthis exquisite bird. Its general color is a creamviolet, becoming lighter or changing almost to blackas the light strikes it at different angles. Aroundthe neck is a collar of glowing emerald green, thefeathers standing boldly out, forming a superb ruff. BOYS AND BIRDS. 309 The tail is a mass of white, flowing, fleecy plumes,from twelve of which are long thread-like prolonga-. FiO. 76.— Twelve-thread Plnme-hinl. tions curling gracefully, from which the bird takesits name. In looking at these marvels of creative 310 BOYS AND BIRDS. beauty, it is not surprising that the idea of paradisewas at once suggested as a fitting name. But passing from the heights to which acontemplation of these peerless birds has led us, we may take theHoopoe (Fig. 77)in the way, in orderto break the sud-denness and forceof the fall. A notungraceful form,with subdued black,white, and buff col-N<^ -RS ors, the hoopoe has Fig. Hoopoe. on]y t^e gaudy Crest of the plume-birds; this adornment is of a reddishbuff, with each feather tipped with black. It is anEastern bird, but makes occasional visits to Europe,where it is prized for a cage-bird and for its use-fulness. But returning from our foreign wanderings, anoisy native bird, the Blue Jay, is admonishing usof its presence by its shrill cry of jay ! jay! jay !(Plate I., Fig. 4.)
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1874
