WONDERS OF THE MICROSCOPE 253 



of its neighbours, so that, the whole become con- 

 verted into a flat elastic web or plane, by means of 

 which the bird can exert pressure upon the air. 

 These tiny hooklets, although so minute, are 

 therefore very important. 



Fig. 172. A scale removed from the skin of an eel 



Every one has on handling a flattened feather 

 found how difficult, if not quite impossible, it is 

 after once disarranging the barbs to rearrange 

 them again; and Figs. 174 and 175 will explain 

 how beautifully these barbs are interlaced, and 

 how when once disordered it is only by chance 

 that they can be rearranged. The tiny hooklets 

 would require very much higher powers to examine, 

 being extremely delicate. 



