Feathers 29 



and cuddled and fed for many weeks, before they learn 

 to take care of themselves; while birds lower in the 

 scale — as our quail — are born covered thickly with 

 down and with wings nearly feathered, and in a few days 

 can fly and find their own food. 



So a bird naked at birth is very helpless, one covered 

 with down is more capable of taking care of itself, while 



Fig. 17. — Nestling Kingfisher ^vith feathers still in their sheaths. 

 2/3 natural size. 



the few which are completely feathered when hatched 

 may be said to have no chickhood except in the egg. 



In the Crested Screamer (Fig. 264) the down-like 

 character of the body-feathers of the adult birds may be 

 a hint of the plumage of very ancient types of birds such 

 as Archceopteryx. 



Now we are ready to begin our study of the perfect 

 feather itself, and we will, for once, have to disregard 

 our rule of starting with the simpler form — the scale of 



