Feathers 



29 



and cuddled and fed for many weeks, before they learu 

 to take care of themselves; while birds lower in the 

 scale — as our quail — are born covered thickly wiih 

 down and with wings nearly feathered, and in a few (la\-s 

 can fly and find their own food. 



So a bird naked at birth is very helpless, one co\-ered 

 with down is more capable of taking care of itself, while 



Fig. 17. — Nestling Kingfisher with feathers still in their sheaths. 



2/3 natural size. 



the few which are completely feathered when hatched 

 may be said to have no chickhood except in the egg. 



In the Crested Screamer (Fig. 264) the down-like 

 character of the l^ody-feathers of the adult birds may be 

 a hint of the pliuuage of very ancient types of birds such 

 as Arch(vopieryx. 



Now we are reach^ to begin our study of the })erfect 

 feather itself, and we will, for once, ha^•e to disregard 

 our rule of starting with the simpler form — the scale of 



