74 JOUIINAL OF TUK DEPARTMENT OF AgRICULTUKE.- -TuLY, 1922. 



The conditions prevailing in osiiicli eliicks Mi'ongly suggest that 

 the earliest birds in geological times were, completely covered with 

 small, simple, tuft-like, downy feathers, all of the same size and 

 very densely crowded, each groM'ing out of a small scale. The general 

 surface appearance of the whole body, and also of the wings and tail, 

 was probably much like that of the neck of the ostrich at the present 

 lime wliich, as every farmer knows, is covered with small, tuft-like 

 feathers, all alike and closely crowded. It is manifest that feathers 





'ic. 9. — Part ot the tarsus of a pigeon with feathered legs, showing the feathers 

 growing out of the small scales which cover the side of the leg. The feathers 

 have been cut short in order to show more clearly their connection with the 

 scales. The scales liave disappeared above, and only the feathers remain. 



Via. 10. — Part of the tarsus of a common fowl with feathered-legs. A number of 

 feathers are seen to be growing out of scales, as in the pigeon and ostrich 

 chick, while down the middle the scales have disajipeared, and only the 

 feathers remain. 



of this kind would be altogether useless for purposes of liiglit; and 

 it is most likely that at first feathers had nothing whatever to do 

 with flying any more than they have in the ostrich at the present 

 time. Later, in the course of evolution, certain of the small scale 

 feathers assumed a dominance over the others, and grew larger and 



