The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-19
Chat About Feathers.

| 1t has been observed that q love for feathers
is amongst the prettiest vanities the daintiesl
whims of men and women. From "a strictly
philosophical and grimly utilitarian point OF
view, it may be considered exceedingly alb
surd to rob poor bird of his clothes, and
use them as additional adornmcnts to our
own attire. But fashion, both in savage and
civilized circles, enforccs strange vagarics
! The aboriginal races of North and South
America, Africa, the islands of the Pacific
and Indian Archipelagos, gloried in their
| feather plumes and coronets, long before our
! European bellies increased commerce so
largely in this direction. The jaunty hat
which has been now so long worn by young
ladies, has given great impetus to every
novelty in the shape of feathers for decorat-
ing it. and it is strange how persistent this
fashion has been, having now lasted more
than ten years. First, the pheasant plume was
introduced as an ornament for hats; then fol
lowed the ptarmigan, peacock, trogon, i'm
pcyan, and argus phcasants, ibis heron, sea
gull, black cock, and owl, and now almost
every variety Of plumagc may be seen in the
hats of ladies and children.
Peacock feathers are obtained in many of
the collectorates Of the Madras Presidency,
the gorgeous plumagc being shed every year.
Fly -tappers or tanning brushes are made of
ployed in Canton for making varegated
threads, which were used in forming beau.i-
full capes for females. Permission to wear
the pcacock's feather in the hat in China is,
like the European orders, only granted by
special permission of the sovereign. Chow.
rics, or large fans, made of the quilts split,
are sold in Madras as high as four pounds
each. Peacock feathers are employed to some
small extent for parures in France. Except,
perhaps, the peacock, the pheasant has the
most beautiful and finely variegated plumagc,
The feathers of the gold and silver pheasants
are much used for making artificial flies for
anglers, and ornamental work generally. The
whole plumage of the argus pheasant has
BEEN lately handsomely mounted as a fire
screen.
The birds of Paradise, distinguished for
their splcndor and elegance, are used for orna-
menting turbans in the East, as well as for
hats and head-d dresses by European ladies.
The genus Pdrdd,sea is chiefly restricted to
New Guinea and the small islands in its vi
cnity From Batavia, 1900 or 1000 reach
Europe annually. The most elegant in its
plumage is the great bird of Paradise, i'.
apoda) the back part of the neck being of a
pale gold color the throat and fore part ofthe
richest changeable golden green, the breast
of deep purple, and the body and tail of a
fine dark chestnut The hen birds are the
most esteemed, being brighter in tint; the
ody-teathers, which are yellowisb, are partl-
ally died TO enhance the color.
The most splendid bird of tropical America
Is the Ir0gdh rtrtdis or splendehS. Aside from
the brilliant metallic splendor of its plumage
and the graceiulness of its form, there is a
peculiar interest connected with this magniti-
cent bird. The long, slender, gildcd feathers
of the tail-covertS were allowed only to be
worn by the royal family of the Incas The
Incas with all their gorgeous magnificcnce
have passed away, and the race of the red
men which venerate them is fast following,
but the bird whose plumes deckcd their dia-
dcms shines brilliant as ever.
Eagles wings and tails fetch a high price
in the Kurile Islands, being bought by the
Russians The feathers are used by the jap
anese for their arrows. Eagles are plentiful
in KamstchatkQ. The brown and chocolate
colorcd wing and tail-feathers of the golden
eagle are used in bonnets of the Scotch clans,
and by Zulu chiefs in southeast Africa. The
aborigines of North America also use the
tail-feathcrs Of the golden eagle for head or
naments. The magnificent feathers of the
great condor which are often eighteen inches
long by four or five broad, are worn by
ladies
Heron's feathers are a symbol of rank in
Turkey. The Sultan wears three in his tur-
ban, the Grand Vizier two and the other pub
lie officers one. The hcrons rs Il whole are
the most beautiful of all the waders, not so
much from the color of their plumage as
from the elegant crests and prolonged feathers
which ornament nearly all the species. The
storks all furnish, in more or less perfection,
the beautiful plumes-superiOr in estimation
even to those OstriCh-known by the name of
marabOuts, from their appellation in Senegal
The under tailcovcrtss. afford the beautiful
plumes. The down Of The adjutant crane and
the white feathers of other cranes, are OBJ
tanned in India and America, and are made
into boas and muits The feathers of the
white or sacred ibis are much used for Orna-
mental purposes in the castand are also sent to
France, while the scarlet ibisof South Ameri-
ca and Africa is likewise in reGuet The skins
of the Arctic divers are dressed and made in
to ClOaks, mutis and cuffs, and are much es
tccmed as covering for the head and breast
in the rigorous climates in which they are
found, the great thickness of the feathers rem
dcring them very fit for that purpose Russia
and the Levant send us considerable quaint
ties of the skins of grsbes, ducks and divers.
In Chloe, from the long, ssh-colorcd plum
age of a species Of penguin, which is little
curlcd and soft the natives spin kind OF
coverlct that is highly priced.
In parts of North America the Indians
make an elegant clothing of the feathers OF
the wild turkey. They twist the inner webs
into strong double string with hemp or
fbrouS bark, and work it like mating. This
appears very rich and glossy, and as fine as
silk shag. Fans used to be made of the tail,
and of four tails joined together the early
French settlers in Louisiana were wont To
construct paraSol.
Old writings speak of feathers being woven
into a peculiar kind of cloth by the Chinese
Among them WAS the Celestial goosc-velvct
the foundation of ihGfabric being of silk, into
which the feathers were skilltully interviewer
in common loom, those OF crimson hue
being the most expensive. Tradition states
that garments made of feathers and rcsembl-
i'm fur dresses were presented 10 the Empcr-
or Shauhau. WHO resigned twenty-five ccntu-
ric, before our era. The earliest alluSion To
robes woven with feathers occurs in the his
tory of the Tsin dynasty. In the year 2I2 A.
D.. the court physician presented the Emperor
with a gown made of feathers from the gold