Rural School Leaflet. 725 



Cornell Experiment Station Bulletin 154 — Computing rations for farm 

 animals. 



Farmers' Reading-Course Bulletins Nos. 6, 7, 8 — Balanced Rations 

 for stock. 



Farmers' Bulletin 121. Legumes as food. 



The first two may be obtained by writing to the College of Agriculture. 

 For the last one, write to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



Lesson XX 



THE PARTS OF A FEATHER 



By J. E. Rice 



Object. — To teach the structures of feathers. A knowledge of the 

 kinds of feathers and the markings of them is essential to learning the 

 tlifferent breeds of poultry. Therefore, this is an important lesson, and if 

 given at all, it should be given with some spirit. The teacher should have 

 feathers that have been taken from different parts of a fowl or fowls, in 

 order to show how the feathers differ in size, shape, and structure. These 

 samples may be collected most easily from a fowl that has just been 

 killed, and should be mounted and kept for future lessons. 



Materials. — (1) A fowl or fowls of the same breed or of different 

 breeds. 



(2) Suitable coops with food and water. 



(3) Drawing paper, pencils, and erasers. 



(4) Blackboard and color crayons. 



(5) Microscope or magnifying glass, if possible. 



Method. — Have the pupils study the live fowl, noting the structure of 

 the feathers on different parts of the body. This might be done at times 

 when other lessons are completed. 



(a) Slit the cjuill of an old feather, and examine the pith. 



(b) Place the different parts of a feather under a magnifying glass 

 and let each pupil examine them, stating what he sees. 



(c) Make a drawing of any feather from any part of the fowl, and 

 name its parts: fluff, tip, quill or shaft, barl), web. (Fig. 50.) 



Definitions. — Quill or Shaft. The rib-like portion which supports 

 the web. and gives strength to the feather. 



Web. The thin, flat, fan-like part of a feather formed by the uniting 

 of the barbs. 



Barb. The separate sections of a feather, which, when united, form 

 the web and when separate, form the fluff. 



Fluff. The portion of the feather where the barbs are separate. 

 Usually next to the body and covered by the webs of other feathers. 



Hunt for feathers which branch from the quill like branches on a tree. 

 Examine fowls during different seasons of the year to find out wliether 



