Feathers and Flic- 



I/T. 



145 



properl}' equipped for its task. The shafts and 

 vanes of its breast feathers have been tremendously 

 strengthened, and their (juills are buried in a 

 quarter-inch-thick pad of very close-set down, which 

 acts like a buticr wlien its wearer strikes the surface 

 of the sea. 



The Heron also is a large lish-feeding bird, but 

 catches its prey in an entirely ditterent nia'nner. 

 It stands in some shallow p(H)l and patiently waits 

 until a fish swims within striking distance of its 

 long neck and spear-like bill, and then. ])V a sudden 

 dart, transfixes its victim. This kind of work calls 

 for no special develo[)ment of breast feathers, and 

 they are, in conse<pience, mere straggling plumes, 



AITKU-SHAIT lEATIIEKS OF VAlilOUS lUKDS 



1, FfallicT of Partridge, .showing- how After-t^haft is attaclu-d ; 'J 

 Atter-shaft of Horon ; 3, After-shaft of Urcnisc ; A, After-sliaft of 

 Grey Crow ; ."i. After-shaft of Curlew. 



