10 FEATHERS 



bules are not of the same design on both sides of the 

 barb. Under the microscope it will be seen that those 

 on the side directed towards the tip of the feather 

 (termed ' distal ' barbules) are furnished with a row of 

 hooks — hamuli ; while the barbules on the side of the 

 barb directed towards the root of the feather ('proximal' 

 barbules) have their ends doubled up. The hooks of 

 the distal barbules on one barb overlap the proximal 

 barbules on the next barb and hook themselves on to 

 the doubled ends, thus forming a strong close web ; and 

 so the feather is complete. 



The number of these barbules is so vast as to defy 

 any but the most patient investigator. Professor 

 Newton found that, in the crane's flight feather referred 

 to above, every barb bore about six hundred pairs of 

 barbules — that is, some eight hundred thousand in the 

 inner web of the feather alone ; to which must be added 

 perhaps four hundred thousand in the outer web. Over 

 one million barbules in a single feather ! and who shall 

 number the feathers clothing the whole bird ? Nor is 

 the marvel diminished when one reflects that this 

 elaborate clothing is cast aside and a fresh suit provided 

 every year of a bird's life. Pluma havA interest — ' it 

 matters not a feather '—ran the Roman proverb, adopt- 

 ing a feather as the type of all that is most trivial and 

 of least value. 



Possibly a little insight into the construction of a 

 feather may incline one to cast about for a truer symbol 

 of insignificance — say, the historic ' scrap of paper.' At 

 all events, it ought to deepen the indignation with 

 which every true and understanding lover of Nature 



