Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-12-01
The Feathers of a Bird.

! From Stanley's History of Birds1
Of feathers ightness we may torn
some idea when we find that the largest
quill of golden eagle weighs only sixty
five grains, and that seven Of those
quilts do not weigh more than a copper
penny-piece; that the feathers of COM
mon fowl, which weighs thirty-seyen
ounces. weigh only three ounces; and
that the entire plumage of an owl
weighs only one ounce and half
Meant as they are, some for covering
and some for strength, we shall find
them very differently put together. The
light downy part, when examined
| through microscope, will be found to
| bear little resemblance to the fat part or
blade OF the quill. If it were not so. a
bird would scarcely be able to fly at all;
for when the flat of the wing was pressed
down, the air would pass through it, and
yield no resistance. The tibres of the
| downy part, we see, have little connec-
ton with, each other; they have short
and loose side shoots, just sufficient to
mat them together when pressed close to
the skin; whereas the side shoots of the
quill feathers hook and grapple with one
another, SO as TO make one firm and
united surface.
But others there are, much stronger
and sitter than the wing quill feathers;
as those, for instance, forming the tails
Of the woodpecker tribe. And the rea-
son would be evident to any person who
watched woodpecker on the stem of
tree feeding. It's food consists of grubs,
usually concealed In the wood, In order
to get them, he must therefore remain
fixed on the bark, and make hole with
his beak, a tedious, if not impracticable
operation, were it not for the wiry stiff
ness of the tail feathers, which press
against tree and act like an additional
limb. The tail, however, has another
use, applicable more or less to all birds;
it is to them what rudder is TO boat,
and In many cases acts like third wing.
If We look at hawk lowering in the air,
when he remains in one spot we shall see
that the tail is spread out like fan, and
1t is in a constant state of qrlivering
motion, balancing the bird while the
wings are keeping it ahoat.
It's clear that If water could soak into
the soft feathery covering of bird,
every shower of rain would be the death
OF thousands, inasmuch as it would in
crease their weight considerably, and, at
the same time, by destroying the fine
elastic nature of their feathers, entirely
disable them from flying, and they must
remain in helpless state upon the
ground, either to perish from hunger or
become the prey to men or animals, who
would catch them without trouble. But
against such a possibility they are
guarded by an abundant oily covering,
which is constantly renewed; so that the
rain, instead of sinking in, runs off, with
outremaining an instant; and we allknow
that If We take up Il duck, or any swim
ming bird, we shall find, though it might
have been diving, just before, that it is
perfectly dry and free from all damp.
But this principle of life, if it may be so
called, in a feather, ceases with the life
of a bird; for if We throw a dead duck
into the water, we should find that it's
coat had lost all power OF resisting water
and become a spongy moisture.
The growth of feathers in Young birds
IL hot and favorable weather is very re-
markable. 1t has been ascertained by
attending to nestlings that in eight days
after their appearing from the egg in a
helpless, naked state they have acquired
the first part of their feathers.