FEATHERS FOR WINGS 63 



as Spey-cock hackles, from the sides of the 

 tail of certain domestic fowls. They are of 

 various colours viz., metallic bronzy black, 

 plain brown, freckled brown and cinnamon, 

 and are rather lacking in translucence, though 

 very mobile in character. The fibres at the 

 root of the feather are usually of a different 

 colour to those of the main body a greyish- 

 brown being the commonest tint. 



It may be said of hackles in general that 

 (1) cock's hackles are employed where colour 

 is the main object; (2) coarse-fibred hackles 

 serve to keep the ribbing hackle together ; * 

 and (3) special hackles come into requisition 

 where mobility is the leading feature. 



Next in importance to hackles come the 

 various feathers used for wings. The same 

 rules affecting the choice of hackles applies 

 here i.e., to choose none but feathers from 

 birds in their best plumage. Unfortunately, 

 many of these are birds from distant lands, 

 and one cannot be quite certain whether at the 

 date of their demise they were or were not in 

 their best plumage. However, with the exer- 



* E.g., in patterns hackled with Heron and Eagle 

 hackles. 



