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of this piece Avere to be drawn when magnified, it would appear laro-er 

 than the whole feather, feen by the naked eye. When this fmall 

 part of the feather is viewed by the microfcope, it will appear, how 

 every one of its parts confifls of a great number of fmaller feather 

 ihaped parts, all which parts are lb conne6led or knit together, as to 

 give flrength to the whole feather. 



The reader, liere, muft underlland, that the particle or piece 

 which is Ihewn magnified at ^f^. 2, LMNOPO, is not, in fa6l, fo 

 big as a large grain of faiid : and further, that this particle received 

 nourilliment in its growth, no otherwife than by fmall veiTels : the 

 reader alio ^^ill advert tojjg. 3, RS, which is drawn from a micro- 

 fcope of greater ]iiagnifying power, and is flripped oli from the fide of 

 fig. o, at MNO, and alfo tofg. 4, TV, v/hich is taken from the fide 

 of>V. 2, at OPO. 



AtLMO, is reprefented a part, bearing the appearance of glo- 

 bules, of which the interior fubfi;ance of this fmall particle of a fea- 

 ther is ccmix)fed, which agrees with the formation of the correlpond- 

 hig ])art in the entire feather of the Ouill, pictured aty^'-. i . 



In the figures 3 and 4, by R and T, are reprefented fbme fhiall 

 veflels broken or torn afunder. 



All thefe fmall particles, each of which may be called a minute fea- 

 ther, not only lerve to give ftrength to the whole feather, but are fo 

 contrived, that in the bird's flight, thele particles remain fo clofely 

 joined together, as to enable it to make a flrong imprefllon on 

 the particles of air, b}^ the exa6t and regular order of the component 

 parts of the feathers. For otherwife, birds would not be able to fup- 

 port themfelves in the air. All thefe particles, as I faid before, lie 

 in moft exa6l order befide each other, which has induced me 

 frequently to contemplate them, as alfo on account of the innumera- 

 ble multitudes of veflels of which the Ouill confilts. 



From this inflance, in the formation of the feathers of birds, we 



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