The Body of a Bird 287 



thus both cleansing it and rendering it water-proof, llial 

 birds, and especially those which, like ciuail, are found 

 in flocks, possess odours is borne witness to ))y the abilit\- 

 of dogs to point successfully the hidden game; but thai 

 this is of much use in enabling the birds to find one anoth(!r 

 is doul^tful, both from the fact of the slight development 

 of the sense of smell, and because of the loud call-notes 

 which are so characteristic of these birds. One excepticju, 

 however, may be noted, that of tlie apteryx. which is 

 said to have a strong and persistent odour, with corre- 

 spondingly well-developed nostrils. 



Again, among fur-covered animals we find usually 

 a poor development of the sense of siglit and but few 

 of them exhibit bright colours, while, as we have seen, 

 birds excel in the power of seeing, and, correlated with 

 this, possess an unparalleled array of colours u})()n the 

 body. 



There are many waA^s in which the bod}' or its feathers 

 are adapted to aid the bird in some special way. For 

 example, the Puff'-l)ack Shi'ike of Africa has a habit of 

 suddenh' pufhng out and erecting a patch of long, loo.se, 

 white feathers on its Ijack, giving the appearance of a 

 large powder-j)uff, an act so startling and imexpected 

 being well calculated to make any attacking hawk or 

 other bird hesitate. 



The general texture of the l)ody feathers is usually 

 an accurate index to the bird's power of flight. Although 

 the feathers of the breast and back are never as compact 

 or as stifT as those of the wings and tail, yet in birds of 

 good flight their barbs are quite firmly connected. In a 



