the wings forward, but we afterwards got many with the hind part,
including the tail and feet. The first, however, struck us at once
with the origin of the fable formerly adopted, of the birds of
paradise wanting legs, and sufficiently explained that circumstance.
Probably the people of the islands east of the Moluccas, from whence
the skins of the birds of paradise are brought, cut off their feet,
for the very reason assigned by the people of Atooi, for the like
practice, which was, that they thereby can preserve them with greater
ease, without losing any part which they reckon valuable. The red-bird
of our island was judged by Mr Anderson to be a species of _merops_,
about the size of a sparrow, of a beautiful scarlet colour, with a
black tail and wings, and an arched bill, twice the length of the
head, which, with the feet, was also of a reddish colour. The contents
of the heads were taken out, as in the birds of paradise; but it did
not appear that they used any other method to preserve them, than by
simple drying, for the skins, though moist, had neither a taste
nor smell that could give room to suspect the use of antiputrescent
substances.[2]

[Footnote 2: It is matter of real curiosity to observe, how very
extensively the predilection for red feathers is spread throughout
all the islands of the Pacific Ocean; and the additional circumstance,
mentioned in this paragraph, will, probably, be looked upon by those
who amuse themselves in tracing the wonderful migrations of the same
family, or tribe, as a confirmation of that hypothesis, (built indeed
on other instances of resemblance,) which considers New Guinea, and
its neighbouring East India islands, from whence the Dutch bring
their birds of Paradise, as originally peopled by the same race, which
Captain Cook found at every island from New Zealand to this new group,
to which Atooi belongs.

What Mr Sonnerat tells us, about the bird of Paradise, agrees
perfectly with the account here given of the preserved red-birds.
Speaking of the _Papous_, he proceeds thus: "Ils nous presenterent
plusieurs especes d'oiseaux, aussi elegants par leur forme, que
brillants par l'eclat de leur couleurs. La depouille des oiseaux sert
a la parure des Chefs, qui la portent attachee a leurs bonnets en
forme d'aigrettes. _Mais en preparant les peaux, ils coupent les
pieds_. Les Hollandois, qui trafiquent sur ces cotes, y achetent de
ces peaux ainsi preparees, les transportent en Perse,