THE CHICKEN 75 



a rain ? (She oils her feathers so that they will shed 

 the rain.) Will oil shed water ? How do you know ? 

 [Have oiled paper in the class. Pour water on it and 

 see what happens.] Where does the chicken get the 

 oil ? (From a little sac just above the tail.) [Show 

 on dressed chicken.] Where does the oil come out? 

 How does the hen get it out? (With her bill.) How 

 can she reach away around there with her bill ? (Her 

 neck is long and limber, and she can twist it around 

 easily.) How does she get the oil out? (Presses 

 down on the sac with her bill, and it comes out as 

 does the juice when you press on an orange in which 

 you have made a hole.) How does she carry the oil 

 to the feathers ? With her bill ? How put it on the 

 feathers? (She passes each feather which she wishes 

 to oil between her two mandibles.) Her bill is the 

 finest comb the hen has. 



But her hair combing is no queerer than her bath. 

 Did you ever see a hen bathing? No ? Did you ever 

 see a hen in an ash pile or in a pile of dust fluttering 

 about ? Just what did she do ? [Children find out 

 if they cannot tell] This is her bath. Does she 

 seem to enjoy it? What does she do when she is 

 through her dust bath? Change her clothes? No, 

 but she shakes out the dust and preens her feathers. 



