212 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



witness the enlarged livers of fattened geese. Deprived 

 of access to water, on which nature intended them to 

 live, they do not feel the necessity for a careful preening 

 of their feathers, and, as a consequence, do not practise 

 the habit as they did before ; but let them be turned 

 out to a pond, and the natural habit is resumed with 

 the returning necessity. I have myself repeatedly 

 remarked this loose plumage of ducks that have been 

 put up to feed, and how little they preen their feathers. 



I am glad to find my views confirmed by the late Mr. 

 St. John, who, as a practical and accomplished naturalist, 

 was well qualified to pronounce an opinion on such a 

 question. He says : 



" The imperviousness to wet of the plumage of wild- 

 fowl is evidently not caused by any power which the 

 birds have of supplying grease or oil to their feathers. 

 The feathers have a certain degree of oiliness no doubt, 

 but from frequent observation I am convinced that it is 

 the manner in which the feathers are placed which is 

 the cause of the water running off them as it does. 



" As long as a wild duck of any kind is alive, his skin 

 remains perfectly dry, though in the water, and although, 

 from the situation in which he may be placed being 

 pursued, for instance it is quite impossible for him to 

 find time to ' oil his plumage/ as some authors assert he 

 does, ' in order to keep out the wet ;' but the moment 

 a duck or water-fowl is dead the water penetrates 

 through the feathers, wetting the animal completely. 

 If one wing is broken, the feathers of that wing imme- 

 diately become soaked with wet, the bird not having the 

 power of keeping the feathers of the broken part in 

 proper position to resist the entry of the water. We 

 all know that birds are able to elevate, depress, and, in 



