( 42 ) 

 ON A PECULIAR TYPE OF FEATHER IN THE 

 WATER-RAIL. 



BY 



J. LEWIS BONHOTE, m.a. 



A FEW weeks ago, when skinning a freshly-killed Water- 

 Rail {Rallus aqnaticus) my attention was drawn to a 

 number of shining bro\ATi bristles, which appeared 

 scattered over the head, and more especially in two lines 

 running from the base of the bill on either side to the top 

 of the eye — in that region, in fact, which is marked out 

 in many species as the anterior portion of the superciliary 

 stripe. On removing some of these feathers and examin- 

 ing them under a microscope, it was at once evident 

 that these apparent bristles were the terminal portion of 

 the rhachis of each feather. This is very clearty shown 

 in the accompanying microphotograph from which it 

 will be seen that the barbs have undergone consider- 

 able wear, and it is due to this fact that these bristles 

 became so apparent as to attract my attention. Under 

 a high power we may see that this " bristle " is structurally 

 a true barb, similar to the tips of the rhachis in 

 ordinary feathers, and at its proximal end the remnants 

 of a few broken barbules may still be seen. 



No notes appear hitherto to have been made on this very 

 peculiar structure, and I can find no mention of it in any 

 books or in descriptions of this or allied species of Rails. 

 It, however, reminded me of the " wax tips " of the 

 Waxwing, and orr comparing a specimen I found the 

 structure of the " wax tip " identical with that of the 

 " bristle," though in the former case, from its larger size 

 and more brilliant coloration, it is of course, much 

 more conspicuous, and has given the bird its trivial name. 



Similar structures may, and probably do, exist among 

 other families, but 1 do not know of any. Professor 

 Newton, however, ia describing the Waxwing,* states 

 that the " wax tip " distinguishes it from almost all other 

 birds, but whether he had some other species in his mind 



* Dictionanj of Birds, p. 1026 (1896). 



