AT the suggestion of my cousin, H. S. Gladstone, a keen 

 L Ornithologist, I took up the examination of Feather 

 Construction. He pointed out to me that up to date 

 the illustrations in ornithological works were hand drawings 

 and that a set of photographs would be of some value. 



My cousin very kindly obtained for me from the 

 Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, a collection of feathers ranging 

 from the Golden Eagle to the diminutive Parrakeet. In addition 

 to these the shooting season provided feathers of British Game 

 Birds, so I was able to examine specimens of practically all the 

 orders of British Birds. After a lengthy study with the micro- 

 scope the conclusion arrived at was that the construction of a 

 feather is the same, whether it belongs to a Golden Eagle or 

 a Sparrow. It was clear therefore that all that was necessary was 

 to record typical species. 



For the benefit of the uninitiated it may be well to 

 recapitulate some of the details connected with feathers in so 

 far as concerns the present work. The large wing feathers are 

 called Primary and Secondary. Covering the base of both are 

 layers of small feathers called Coverts. The general body covering 

 feathers are called Contour. The last type dealt with is the 

 Filoplumes, which are hair-like filaments close to the skin. 



