Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-09-22
Feathers of a Bird.

vi feathers lightness we NAV form
some idea when we find that the largest
gull OF golden eagle weighs only sixty
nve grains, and that seven ,uch ouills do
not weigh more than copper penny-oiece /;
tnat the feathers of common fowl. which
weighs thirty ounces, weigh only
thrce ounces; and that the entire plumage
OF an owl weighs only one ounce and a
nall. Meant as they are, some for cover
ing and some for strength, we shall find
them, on examination, very differently put
together. The light downy part, when
examined through microscope, will be
found to bear little resemblance TO the flat
part or blade of the quill II il were not
so, bird would scarcely be able to fiy al
all for when the flat of the wing was
pressed down, the air would pass through
IL, and yield NO resistance. The fibres of
the uowny part, We see, have little con-
nection 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
leather hook and grapple with one an
other, 50 as TO make one firm and united
stronger and stlffer than the wing Quill
feathers; as those, for instance, forming
the tails of the wood-pecke. tribe. And
the reason would be evident to any person
who watched woodpecher er on the stem of
tree feeding Its 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,
tedious, if not impracticable operation,
were II not for the wiry stiffness of the tail
feathers, VIII ch press against tree and
act like an additional limb. The tail, how
ever, has another use, applicable more or
less to all birds; it is TO them what a rud-
der is 10 boat, and in many cases acts
like thirG wing. If we look at a hawk
lowering in the air, when he remains in
one spot we shall see that the tail is spread
out ike a ian, and it is in constant state
OF quivering motion, balancing the bird
while the wings are keeping il afioat 1t
Is clear that if water could soak into the
soft feathery covering of bird, every
shower of rain would be the death of thou
sands, inasmuch as it would increase their
weight considerably, and, at the same time,
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 with
out trouble. But against such possibility
they are guarded by an abundant oily Co
verlng, which is constantly renewed; 50
that the rain, instead of sinking in, runs
of, without remaining an instant; and we
all know that if we take up duck, or any
swimming bird, We shall find, though il
might have been diving just before, that ii
is perfectly dry and free from all damp.
But thus principle of life, if it may be 50
called, IL feather ceases with the life OF
bird for if We were To throw dead
duck into the water, We should find that
its coat had lost all power of resisting wa
ter, and becomes spongy mass of moist
ure. The growth of feathers in young
birds in hot and favorable weather is very
remarkable Ii has been asceriaIned by al
tending 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