400 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



The texture of the feathers, particularly of the 

 quill-feathers, has a natural effect upon the powers 

 of flight. In the falcons, where flight is unusually 

 vigorous and long-sustained, each of the primary 

 quill-feathers is elongated, narrow, and tapers 

 gradually to a point. The " web " of each feather 

 is entire, and the barbs are closely and firmly con- 

 nected together. Of so much consequence, indeed, 

 are these feathers to the falcons, that, as we are 

 informed by Professor Owen, when any of them 

 are broken the flight is injured, and the falconers 

 find it necessary to repair them; for which purpose 

 they are always provided with perfect pinion and 

 tail feathers, regularly numbered. In the owls, 

 on the contrary, the plumage is loose and soft, so 

 that they are debarred from rapid flight, which 

 might be dangerous in the gloom in which they go 

 abroad; yet they are thus also enabled by the same 

 mechanism to wing their way without noise, and 

 steal unheard upon their prey. 



The feathers are known by different names, 

 according as they are found in one or in another part 

 of the body of the bird. Those which surround 

 or cover the external opening of the ear are called 

 "auriculars ;"(!) those which lie above the shoulder 



