Feathers 29 
and cuddled and fed for many weeks, before they learn 
to take care of themselves; while birds lower in the 
scale—as our quail—are born covered thickly with 
down and with wings nearly feathered, and in a few days 
can fly and find their own food. 
So a bird naked at birth is very helpless, one covered 
with down is more capable of taking care of itself, while 
Fig. 17.-—Nestling Ningfisher 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 body-feathers of the adult birds may be 
a hint of the plumage of very ancient types of birds such 
as Archeopteryx. 
Now we are ready to begin our study of the perfect 
feather itself, and we will, for once, have to disregard 
our rule of starting with the simpler form—the scale of 
