254 MINUTE MARVELS OF NATURE 



All feathers are not arranged on this plan, in 

 fact different species of birds have their feathers 

 adapted to their special circumstances in life ; for 

 example, the ostrich having developed running 



Fig- J 73- Scale from a gold-fish 



propensities in preference to flying, has lost the 

 character of flying feathers and developed the 

 familiar waving plumes of commerce. A portion 

 of a feather of an ostrich is illustrated in Fig. 1 76, 

 showing the loose barbs or fibrils, which, on com- 

 parison with those of the humming bird and 



