THE PALMIPEDES 91 



water I They may have prolonged their bath for 

 hours, swimming, diving, playing; but. they leave 

 the stream without getting the least bit wet. If a 

 drop of water has got between their feathers, they 

 have only to shake themselves a moment, and they 

 are perfectly dry. That, you must agree, is a 

 precious privilege, to be able to go into the water 

 and not get wet." 



"A privilege that, for my part," rejoined Emile, 

 "I have often envied without being able to explain 

 the secret of a duck's keeping dry when right in the 

 water. ' ' 



"I will explain the secret to you. Watch the 

 ducks as they come out of their bath. In the sun, 

 some lying at ease on their stomachs, others stand- 

 ing up, they proceed to make their toilet with minute 

 care. With their large beak they smooth their 

 feathers, one by one, coat them over with an oily 

 fluid, the reservoir of which is situated on the bird's 

 rump. There, just at the base of the tail, is found, 

 hidden under the down, a kind of wart of grease, 

 from which oil oozes constantly. From time to time 

 the beak presses the wart, draws from the oily res- 

 ervoir, and then distributes here and there, method- 

 ically, all over the plumage, the oil thus obtained." 



4 * That greasy wart might be called a sort of po- 

 matum pot," suggested Emile. 



"It is a pomatum pot, if that comparison pleases 

 you. Thus greased, thus anointed with pomatum, 

 feather by feather, the duck furnishes no foothold 

 for moisture, because, as you all know, water and 



