DIFFERENT KINDS OF FEATHERS. 57 



curve ; these are paired off and reserved for use in winging such flies as 

 the " Eanger " tribe. It will not bear much manipulation in the strip," 

 and obstinately refuses all overtures for " marriage." As a hackle for 

 winged flies, the tippet is not popular ; but for grubs the " Tippet 

 Grub," for instance (the feathers are used as hackles) it is grand ; and, 

 in point of contrast, when so used, few feathers equal it. Herls and 

 sicord-feathers have already been mentioned. For making a whole wing 

 of the former, strands should be selected from each side of the feather, 

 and packed together on their backs, in separate bundles for each wing, the 

 top part of the wing taking the longest fibres. The sword feather is also 

 used in wings, as in " Jock Scott." 



If the beautiful and useful be incompatible, the beautiful must give 

 way ; even the old " Cock o' the Hock," the celebrity I have known as 

 being endowed with some malady, is altogether neglected on account of 

 constitutional debility. It is here, as Shakespeare would have it, that 

 expectation failed most. The colour which led us to expect great results 

 was more than counterbalanced by the weakness and limpness of the 

 fibres. There is, however one species Eupicola sanguinolenta from 

 Andes of Ecuador, that is exceedingly useful. The bird is similar in 

 shape, but in colour, character of fibre, and style of feather, it differs 

 materially. The feathers are not orange, but almost scarlet ; they are 

 not soft, but sufficiently firm, and make good hackles, which almost shine 

 either in the water or out. The Kingfisher changes colour, and has 

 yielded to the Blue Chatterer from Vera Paz. This latter is now well 

 known; but the Banded Chatterer is uncommon. The former (Cotinza 

 amabilis) is light blue ; the Banded (Gotingacincta) from Cayenne is 

 dark. 



The common accompaniment, by the bye, of all good feathers in all 

 good boxes is consumption. Believe me, I speak it deliberately and 

 with full conviction, the only method of preserving our bulk of material 

 is to keep adding to it. Amongst that portion of our present stock, for 

 which I am held responsible, we have the Banded Chatterer, the Great 

 American Cock (wild turkey), the Nankeen Night Heron, the South 

 American Bittern, and the Cock o' the Eock from Ecuador. But the 

 greatest find that has fallen to my lot is the Golden Bird of Paradise. 



