PEAT 



I:\TION. 



>; 



appears to most dvantage a* practised by artificer* whose occupation 

 manufacture of garlands, chaplets, frontal*, tiaras, and crowns 

 y thin copper, on which purple and blue feathers of gorgeous 

 brilliancy are placed with much taste and skill. From the rize of 

 these ornament*, scope i* afforded for the display of various figures. 

 Dr. Macgowan describes in the following rocesse* of thi* kind 



of feather- working: "On the table at which the workman nit- 

 a fasciculus of feathers, a small furnace with a few ember* for ko pin 

 warm a cup of glue, a small cutting instrument like a snrew-dnver 

 a pencil or brush, and the articles, ritlu-r silver, gilt, copper, tinsel, o 

 pasteboard, which are to be feathered. The thumb and index finger 

 being raneared with glue, the feather* are gently drawn between them 

 which stiffen* the barbs, causing them to adhere firmly together : wh. i 

 dry. the perpendicular blade i* drawn close to the nil it from 



the barlied portion. Holding this cvitting instrument as in writin; 

 4 la Ckiitoitc, the artist, by pressing on the strip* of barb with the 

 knife, cut* them into the desired size and shape, which is a work o 

 some delicacy the pieces being very small, in the form of petal* 

 scales, diamonds, square*, and the like, and requiring to be of the same size 

 as the particular spot on which they are to be laid. Besides fingerinf 

 thi* tool in the manner described, he holds the pencil nearly as we do 

 a pen, dips it into the glue, brushes the spot to be coated ; then 

 expertly reversing it, touches with its opposite point a morsel o 

 feather, which is thus lifted up and laid on the part for which it 

 was fitted. Care is requisite also in giving a proper direction to this 

 twilled work ; for such of course i* the appearance presented by the 

 barbs. The feathers most in demand for this pi from a 



beautiful species of Ai lit from the tropical regions of Asia; 



they are employed for silver articles. Kingfisher* of coarser plumage; 

 and lea* brilliant hue, found throughout the country, are u 

 ornaments made of copper and pasteboard. Blue always greatly 

 predominate* over lighter or darker shades, relieved by purple, white, 

 or yellow. . . . Sometimes two dragons extend from below the lobes 

 of the ears, meeting above the forehead, the variegated scales of which 

 are represented by minute portions of feather* of various hues ; at 

 others, beautiful flowers are interspersed with elegant mosaic. And 

 then again the head attire appears animated ; as with every turn of 

 the fair one, tiny genii, birds, and insects arc set in motion from 

 springs and wires which retain them in the midst of the fairy-like 

 garland. To increase the effect, these ornaments are studded with 

 pearl*, produced cheaply and in great abundance by artificial means in 

 a fresh- water mussel. (' American Journal of Science and Art.') 



Bed Peathen. The employment of feathers for stuffing beds 

 was known in England at least three centuries ago. Goose 

 which, owing to their superior elistioity, are prcfciTed for this 

 purpose are considered best when plucked from the living bird ; and 

 in the districts where geese are chiefly kept, this cruel operation is 

 repeated from three to five times in a year. While most writers con- 

 demn this practice for its apparent barbarity, and while some even 

 assert that in cold weather many birds die in consequence of being 

 subjected to it; others affirm, on the other hand, that the breeders, 

 for their own profit, pluck only such feather* as are very near falling 

 off, and the removal of which consequently gives but little pain, 



because a* uch as arc firmly fixed have a little blood at the end, they 

 are lea* valuable. Young bird* are plucked a* well as those of mature 

 growth, early plucking being supposed to promote the rapid growth of 

 the feather*. Goose feathers are divided into white and gray. the 

 former being deemed the most valuable. The less valuable kind of 

 feathers, known by the general name of poultry feathers, are obtained 

 from turkeys, ducks, and fowls. Wild-duck feathers arc both soft and 

 elastic, but their value is impaired by the great difficulty of removing 

 the disagreeable odour of the animal oil which they contain. Various 

 method* are practised of cleansing feather* from their oil. Some 

 manipulators line lime-water; others lime in a different state. The 

 purification of bed-feathers by the agency of steam is now much 

 practiced ; in one method, which is secured by patent, ami N .q 

 either to new feather* or to such aa have bee liy use, 



the feathers are so greatly improved in softness and elasticity that n 

 much le*s quantity of them th:m of feathers prepared in the ordinary 

 way sufficed to make a good bed. 



The nfteet and finest kind of feathers employed for liedding are 

 thoae from the breast of the eider-duck, known in commerce as eider- 

 down. [ElDdt DOWM.] Thi* exquisitely soft down should never !* 

 slept upon, ait it thereby lose* it* elasticity, but should be used only as 

 a covering. A similar lubstance, though in less quantity, in procured 

 from the swan, the gooae, and wune other bird*. 



(/HI//* for I'm*. For the third of the above-mentioned uses of 



feathers the quills of the goose are mart generally employed, t i 



fnr purposes where great axe and strength are required, thoae of the 



and rwan are highly prized. V. I toked several 



.r for . .tli.-r feather*, the quill* are only taken at the first 



plu'-kmi: ab ; ,rch. As token from the l.n.l. thu horny 



barrel of the quill is .th internally and 



externally, with a ViwcuUr mlir.i,,.. which adheres very closely to 



nil it.-cll i- '.and tough. The 



subjected to certain y which thr 



membrane* may be detached and dried up, and t! 

 transparent, hard, and somewhat brittle; pr.-vi ,.i>- t.. which i! 



sorted into prima, wroiub, and pMotu, the it of which consist of 

 the largest and longest barrelled quill*, and the others of such a* 

 possees these characteristics in a less degree. They are further sorted 

 into right and left wing feather*, in order that all tied up in one 

 bundle may have the name curvature ; and before tying up for sale the 

 ::illy strip|>l oil' from the inner edge of 

 the stem, in order that they may lie compaotly together. In a goose's 



exterior quills are tit for making ]ns, 



theeothe first in tlu< hardest and roundest, but the shortest, and the 

 second and third are considered thu l>e*t. Dutch quills arc 

 esteemed, as the Dutch were the first who hit upon tlie art of preparing 



ling them. U.,th inside an.i 



humour with , are naturally impregnated, and which p. 



the ink from flowing freely along the pen* made with them. Thu 

 Dutch employ hot cinder* or ashes to attain thi* end; and their 

 secret was preserved very carefully, but it at length trr.i 

 the process was then improved. In thu improved method the barrel 

 i nd of the quill is plunged for a few second* in a Kind-hath, heated to 

 about 140 Fahr.,and then ruhlied strongly with a piece nf flannel. 

 Att.r this it appears white and transparent. In another 

 workman sits l.efore a small stove tire, into which he thrust* the 

 barrel of the quill for about a second. Immediately upon witlid: 

 it from the fire, he draws it under the edge of a large blunt-edged 

 knife, called a hook (shaped somewhat like a patten-maker's knife, and 

 like it, having a fulcrum at one end, formed by a hook and slap 

 a handle at the other end, by which pressure may be commmii 

 by which it is' forcibly compressed against a block or plat.: of iron, 

 heated to about U. r ><i Fahr. By thi* process the barrel, wh 

 rendered soft and elastic by the heat, is pressed flat . 

 its outer membrane, without danger of splitting. It springs 1 

 its natural form, and the dressing is completed by 

 piece of rough dog-fish skin. The principal workman cmplo. 

 this operation can pass 2000 quills through 1. 

 ten hours. In a fourth method which is 



regards the quality of the quills for pcn-mak: Ii it makes 



them somewhat more pleasing to the eye, the quills are first stained 

 yellow by steeping them for a night in a decoction of tin - 



warm sand, and subsequently scraped in the manner above 

 described. Steaming for four hours has also been suggested a* a good 

 mode of dressing or prc] .aring quills. By whatever process the 

 external membrane is removed, that in.-ide the quill remains, sep. 

 trom it, and shrivelled up in the centre of the barrel, until it i 

 ipcn to convert it into a pen. 



i ; Y, the second month of the year. Its name 

 Tom fcbrun, to purify or cleanse. The Lupercalia were ee 

 this month. (Ovid, ' Fasti,' ii. 1. 1!, :il.) The Saxons c. 



'/i, because the sun's meridian altitude visibly increases in it. 

 February was not in the Calemlar of Hornulus. It was added to the 

 rear by Numa, who gave it the twelfth place in the Calendar. The 

 decemviri transferred it to the place in which it now stands. (Ovid. 

 Fasti,' ii. 1. 47.) Numn aligned twenty- r that 



.he sum of the year might be an uneven number, according 

 rprean fancy. (Macrob. 'SaturnaL' Ii. i. c. 13.) In an ordinary year 

 "ebruary has twenty-eight days ; in biwc q>-yoar, it has a 



weuty-ninth, or intercalary day, except once at the end of each 



> \ LI-IS, in ancient Rome, were the messenger* er her. 

 var and peace ; they belonged to the order of the priesthood, ami their 

 )ersons were held sacred even by enemies. \Vh.-n the Romans had or 



Vd to have grievances against another state, they wu 



I the feciales, who clad in hi* solemn robes, entered the obn 



crrit Ty or town, and in the presence of the assembled peop 



of the magistrates and rulers of the country, stated the complai 



,he Romans, and asked for reparation. A certain time, generalh 



ays, was allowed i r returning an answer, at the 



end of which the fecial herald came again, and if the answer \> 



.ry, he took to witness Jupiter and the other gods that he 



ad religions) duty, and that it was now the business 



('the Koinan senate and people to di-cide upon the question. On las 



return to Rome he declared to the senate the result of his in 



uid told them that they might now declare war if the;, thought 



. If war was decided upon, the fecial herald went again 

 units of the hostile slat. . in presence of w i 



> Jupiter and the other gods celestial and terrestrial, he protested 

 i he injustice of that people and their <>b.-' 

 .11, an.i declared that nothing now remained for I! 

 seek satisfaction by its own arms: he then threw a spear within the 

 ostilc boundaries, upon which war was considered as begun, 

 treaty of peace or o< to be concluded, the prc-. 



ecialo* was likewir ;m with tl 



ok of a icligioiis character. Th. 



des. This institution 

 omuch as it i.i ndi-d 



i.lden and unexpected aggression*. 



FECULA. 

 FEDERATION, 



'I in the' f< 

 \\ . will supper 



sovereign states may be most 

 r : 

 >wer in any number of inde- 



