THE LYRE BIRD. 
325 
on the outside, destitute of barbs, except a slight fringe 
near the termination. On the inner side there is a narrow 
vane gently expanding to a little 
more than half an inch at the widest 
part, but contracting towards the end. 
These feathers bend on either side 
over the delicate tracery, heightening 
its effect by their decided lines, as 
best seen in fig. 79. Figure 81 pre- 
sents two sections, æ from the ter- 
minal curve, and 6 from the middle 
of one of these rigid feathers. 
But that which gives character to 
the whole is the arrangement of the 
Fig. 81. 
external feathers. These curve in "terminal curve; > nom middle 
such a manner that the two together 
terminal curve; 6 from middle 
portion of one of the central, 
rigid feathers. 
form the outline of an ancient lyre, an appearance so striking 
Fig. 82. 
o> 
a, manung uide, from o 
of ee Mp ei cg Maihora: 
devoid of color. 
as to confer on the birds their popular 
name. These two feathers contrast 
with the middlé ones by presenting 
vanes, wide on the inner side, on the 
whole length of the shaft. These 
vanes, are apparently frilled, but this 
singular effect exhibited at a in figure 
82, which is a section, half size, from 
one of the exterior feathers, is pro- 
duced by an alternate omission of bar- 
bules on the barb, as seen at 5, fig. 82 
which is a single barb. As the barbs 
are seen edgewise, they present, in the 
naked spaces, the appearance of trans- 
parency, and are usually so described. 
The microscope, however, proves that 
in these portions the barbs are not 
These two outer feathers are of one or 
more shades of brown and ash color, lighter than the general 
