Birds oiling their Plumage. 515 



to ask of him, how he accounts for the fact that, while the fea- 

 thers of a robin or thrush, if they have only fallen into the 

 water for a few minutes, become totally spoiled as far as the 

 purposes of stuffing are concerned, those of the dipper may 

 remain half an hour or more in the water without receiving 

 any damage?" (Rev. F. O. Morris, p. 375. note *.) 



I cannot account for the fact stated by the Rev. Mr. Morris. 

 If he infers that birds oil their plumage from the fact that 

 the feathers of the dipper "may remain half an hour or more 

 in the water without receiving damage," he nullifies his 

 inference, by adducing a subsequent fact, that the feathers 

 of a robin or a thrush, "if they have only fallen into the water 

 for a kw minutes, become totally spoiled, as far as the pur- 

 poses of stuffing are concerned ; " for the robin and the 

 thrush have the oil-gland as completely developed, and as 

 perfect in every point of view, as that of the dipper. If, then, 

 the feathers of the dipper are preserved from injury in the 

 water by the contents of the oil-gland, surely, by a parity 

 of reasoning, those of the robin and the thrush ought to be 

 equally preserved. But the Rev. Mr. Morris informs us 

 that the feathers of the robin and the thrush become totally 

 spoiled, as far as the purposes of stuffing are concerned, if 

 they have only fallen into the water for a few minutes. This 

 I consider tantamount to an avowal, on the part of the 

 reverend ornithologist, that the robin and the thrush do not 

 lubricate their feathers. So much for the oil-gland, and its 

 supposed uses. 



I will now take the liberty of assuring the Rev. Mr. 

 Morris, that the feathers of the robin and the thrush do not 

 become totally spoiled, as far as the purposes of stuffing are 

 concerned, by immersion in the water; on the contrary, 

 their plumage is improved by it. Merses pro/undo, pul- 

 chrior evenit. I will engage to steep a robin and a thrush 

 for a whole day in a basin of water, and make better speci- 

 mens of them than if I had stuffed them before they had un- 

 dergone the immersion. 



A concluding word on the remark, that " the habit of the 

 dipper walking underneath the water, is too well known and 

 authenticated to need any additional information from me " 

 [that is, from Mr. Morris]. I am not a convert to the doctrine 

 of a subaquatic promenade : first, because I know that the 

 bodies of all birds float on the surface of the water ; secondly, 

 because I am convinced that birds are obliged to make great 

 exertions with their wings and feet in order to be able to 

 reach the bottom ; thirdly, because I am satisfied that, as 

 soon as they have arrived at the bottom of the water, the 



