CHAPTER V. 



THE GKO\\TH OF A FEATHEK. 



Every bird, on quitting the egg, appears covered on all parts, except the under side, 

 with, a kind of down, consisting of minute filaments, collected into tufts, and resembling 

 in their arrangement the fibres of a camel-hair pencil. Each tuft contains about ten 

 or twelve filaments, growing from the upper ends of bulbous roots implanted in the 

 skin. These are the rudiments of the organs that afterwards form the feathers, of which 

 this do^-n, serving the purpose of a first garment, hastily spread over the yoimg bird, 

 is but the precursor. The tufts generally soon fall off and, disappear, except in the 

 rapacious tribes, as the eagle and the vulture, where they remain attached to the feathers 

 for a considerable time. 



On our traveller, Bruce, laying hold of the monstrous carcase of a lammergeyer, or 

 bearded vulture, which he had killed, he was not a little surprised at his hands being 

 covered and tinged with j-ellow powder or dust. On turning the bird on his belly, and 

 examining the feathers of his back, they also produced a dust the colour of the feathers 

 there. This dust was not in small quantities ; for upon striking the breast, the yellow- 

 powder flew out in much greater quantity than from a hairdresser's powder-puff, so 

 commonly in use at that period ; and the traveller was utterly unable to account for 

 the fact. 



Sonnini supposed this dust to be a remarkable singularity, or one of the multifarious 

 modifications of nature ; but it was only a simple effect of the moulting, which the bulk 

 of the animal rendered more perceptible. This powder, in fact, came from the pellicle 

 which envelopes the feathers of a bird at their first production, which foUows at first 

 their progression, being elongated with them, and finally dries up as the barbs shoot 

 forth, and becomes divided into very fine light parcels, the quantity of which depends on 

 the number of feathers which are developed at the same time. This pellicle is usually 

 of the same colour as the feathers. 



While a temporary defence is given by the downy covering, provision is being made 

 to siq^ply a raiment better adapted to the future wants of the bird. The apparatus by 

 which the feathers are to be formed is gradually constructing ; its rudiments are 

 receiving the needed supply of nutrient juices, and of vessels for their circulation, 

 together with their usual complement of nerves and absorbents. 



When first visible, this organ has the form of a very minute cone, which rises above 

 the cuticle, and is attached by a filament proceeding from its base to one of the papillas 

 of the sk in , thus establishing its connexion with the li^'ing system. In a few (lays 

 this cone has become a cylinder (fig. 1), with a pointed extremity, a, while its base, b, 

 is united to the true skin by a more distinct bond of connexion formed by the enlarged 

 \ essels which arc supplying it with nourishment. A white line is seen running the 

 whole length of the cylinder, and another, exactly similar to it, is met with on the ojjpo- 



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