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AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
Vol. V.-_NOVEMBER, 1871.—No. 1l. 
xCD 
SYMMETRICAL FIGURES IN BIRDS FEATHERS. 
BY GRACE ANNA LEWIS. 
In the summer of 1869, whilst examining the feather capsule of 
a nestling dove, the microscopic slide was suddenly covered with 
a multitude of exquisite forms. Lost in admiration of the beauty 
of these brilliants, as seen under the effects of sun-light, for a 
time I forgot every thing else, but presently remembering that 
others might enjoy the sight as much as myself, I seized a pencil 
and rapidly transferred the outlines to paper, continuing until 
twilight obscured them from view. Resting for an hour, I re- 
turned to my microscope, but all had vanished like a dream, — 
nothing was left but a few drops, looking like perspiration on the 
face of the glass. 
The next day my German farmer climbed to the dove’s nest 
and procured a few more pen-feathers. Some of these were cut 
into fine shreds, rubbed in a drop of water, and placed under the 
microscope. In a short period the figures of yesterday were again 
before me. From the cut surfaces of the portions of the pen- 
feathers I had placed under the lens, granules appeared to stream 
forth like blood, covering the microscopic slide in countless num- 
bers. Mingled with these were numerous larger cells of a glob- 
ular or oval form, having a transparent centre. These and the 
granules, gave to the water a slightly glutinous consistency. As 
the fluids on the glass dried, lines at different angles shot across 
the slide, looking much as though an unseen camel’s hair pencil 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. V. 43 (675) 
