28 



LOVE S MEINIE. 



posed oi three parts — the down, the laminae, and the 

 shaft. 



, But the common-sense method of stating the matter is 

 that a feather is composed of two parts, a shaft with 

 lateral filaments. For the greater part of the shaft's 

 length, these filaments are strong and nearly straight, 

 forming, by their attachment, a finely warped sail, like 

 that of a windmill. But towards the root of the feather 

 they suddenly become weak, and confusedly flexible, and 

 form the close down Avhich immediately protects the 

 bird's body. 



To sho^v^ you the typical arrangement of these parts, I 

 choose, as I have said, the robin ; because, both in his power 

 of flying, and in his colour, he is a modei-ate and balanced 



• Fig. 1. 



(Twice the size of reality.) 



a I A 



az 



bird ; — not turned into nothing but wings, like a swallow, 

 or notliing but neck and tail, like a peacock. And first 



