60 The Microscope. 



the microscope ; yet, on the whole, it may be pro- 

 nounced that they are scarcely so agreeable to the 

 eye as when seen in their natural size. The homely 

 goose-quill affords an object likely to prove more 

 attractive to the intelligent observer, its point of 

 interest (in common with all firm and smooth feathers) 

 being the mode in which its barbs or fibres adhere to 

 each other. How often have I stroked the feathers of 

 a quill back and forward, and wondered why its fibres 

 parted so reluctantly ; and still more have I wondered 

 that it should be so easy to stroke them into their 

 places again ! 



A little investigation will explain the mystery. 

 I have arranged under one of the lower powers of 

 the microscope a very flat little feather, and I find 

 that it consists (as you know) of a central shaft, with 

 a great many barbs springing from it. These I will 

 call " minor feathers." On one side of the " minor 

 shafts " (as we may call them) there is a row of smooth 

 flat little filaments ending in tapering points. Except 

 for the tapering point it is not unlike a blade of a 

 knife in shape. On the other side of each of the little 

 shafts is a row of filaments, not ending in points, but 

 in a series of hooks. 



When the feather is smoothed down, and all the 

 minute portions of it are in their places, it will be 

 observed that the " minor shafts " are very close 

 together, and the rows on each side of them overlap 

 each other. In this way every filament ending in a 

 series of hooks lies over three or four of the little 

 knife-shaped filaments in the neighbouring row, and 



