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V. — On certain peculiarities in the Structure of the Feathers of 

 the Owl tribe. By John Quekett, Esq., Assistant Conservator of 

 the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 



(Read January 15, 1845). 



It has been well observed by the eloquent Paley, that every fea- 

 ther is a mechanical wonder. If we look at the quill, we find pro- 

 perties not easily brought together — strength and lightness. If we 

 cast our eye to the upper part of the stem, we see a material, made for 

 the purpose, used in no other class of animals and in no other part of 

 birds ; tough, light, pliant, elastic. Feathers form a covering 

 which cannot escape the most vulgar observation : the lightness, 

 smoothness and warmth — their disposition all inclined backward — 

 the down about the stem — the overlapping of their tips — their dif- 

 ferent configuration in different parts, not to mention the variety of 

 their colours, constitute a vestment for the body, so beautiful and so 

 appropriate to the life which the animal is to lead, as that, I think, we 

 should have had no conception of anything equally perfect, if we had 

 never seen it, or can now imagine anything more so. These were the 

 expressions of this elegant author given to the world nearly half a 

 century ago, since which time the structure and mode of development 

 of feathers generally have been ably investigated by Frederic Cuvier 

 and many other authors, and our knowledge of the subject greatly in- 

 creased by their labours. 



Before entering upon the consideration of the peculiar structure of 

 the feathers of the owl tribe, it will be almost essential that I should 

 explain briefly the various parts which enter into the composition of 

 an ordinary (wing) feather, say a common goose-quill. Every feather 

 may be said to consist primarily of three parts, the quill or barrel, the 

 vane and the shaft. The quill, which is the part by which the feather 

 is attached to the skin, is more or less transparent, and is shorter than 

 the shaft. It is larger at the part where it is connected to the shaft 

 than it is anywhere else, and tapers in most cases gradually to the 

 point, where there is an opening communicating with the interior, 

 which is termed the lower umbilicus, in contradistinction to another 

 opening where the barrel joins the shaft, which is termed the upper 

 umbilicus. In the interior of the barrel in the dry state is contained 



