upon the Rump of Birds. 267 



I think that I can now put this question to rest. Ere I do 

 so, I will just glance over the rambling paper by the Rev. 

 F. O. Morris [p. 159 — 164-.], and drop an ornithological re- 

 mark or two on it, as I pass my eye along it. 



The apostrophe which his reverence makes to the feline 

 tribe shows that he has neglected to study the anatomy of his 

 cat, at his own fireside. After quoting a remark of mine in a 

 former Number [V. 413.], viz., "that when the nature of the 

 gland and the form of the bill are duly considered, it is 

 rational to conclude, that the application of the hard bill to 

 the soft gland would be very painful to the bird," his reve- 

 rence exclaims [VIII. 162.], "Then thrice unfortunate are ye 

 of the feline race: if this be so, how must your faces suffer, 

 it is rational to conclude, when you wash them with your 

 paws : 't is marvellous that your talons allow any part to 

 remain unscratched of the contracting pupils of your eyes : 

 dreadful must your suffering be." What sympathetic stuff! 

 The beaks of birds, not being retractile, must necessarily pre- 

 sent a hard substance to the soft gland ; but the claws of all 

 the feline tribe, being retractile, every individual of that 

 family can draw them in, and present to its eyes and face a paw 

 as soft as velvet, whenever it is inclined to make its toilette. 



The gland in birds (whether they be land fowl or water 

 fowl) is always perfectly developed, and of a capaciousness 

 proportionate to the size of the bird. 



His reverence informs us that he himself has seen tame 

 ducks apply the bill to the gland, and then to the feathers. 

 Indeed ! Pray how could he manage to see the gland, when 

 the duck itself cannot possibly see it? The feathers of all 

 birds are ranged obliquely on the skin, and are movable at 

 pleasure; but in ducks a thick coat of down rises at the roots 

 of the feathers, and the muscles which move the feathers have 

 not the power to expand this down so that you may see 

 through it, or to divide, or to separate it. * Now, the gland 

 of the duck is completely enveloped in a very dense tuft of 

 this down ; so that the duck could not obtain oil from the 

 gland, if it wanted it, because the oil would be entirely 

 absorbed by the intervening body of down. His reverence 

 could no more see the gland of a duck through this down, 

 than I could see his own heart through the folds of his 

 cassock. 



The oil which proceeds from the gland, when applied to 

 the feathers, has exactly the same effect upon them, whether 



* I send by this opportunity the glands of a duck, a Canada goose, and 

 a woodcock to Mr. Loudon, for his inspection and that of his friends. 



