28 



LOVE S MEINEE. 



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

 shaft. 



But the common-sense method of stating the matter is 

 tliat 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 which immediately protects the 

 bird's body. 



To show you the typical arrangement of these parts, I 

 choose, as I have said, tlie 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 



a 2 



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

 or nothing but neck and tail, like a peacock. And first 



