THE DIPPER. 
191 
from the fact that the feathers of the dipper " may 
remain half an hour or more in the water without 
receiving damage," he nullifies his inference by ad- 
ducing a subsequent fact, that the feathers of a robin 
or a thrush, " if they have only fallen into the water 
for a few minutes, become totally spoiled, as far as 
the purposes of stuffing are concerned ; for the 
robin and the thrush have the oil-gland as completely 
developed, and as perfect in every point of view, as 
that of the dipper. If, then, the feathers of the 
dipper are preserved from injury in the water by the 
contents of the oil-gland, surely, by a parity of rea- 
soning, those of the robin and the thrush ought to be 
equally preserved. But the Rev. Mr. Morris informs 
us that the feathers of the robin and the thrush be- 
come totally spoiled, as far as the purposes of stuffing 
are concerned, if they have only fallen into the 
water for a few minutes. This I consider tantamount 
to an avowal, on the part of the reverend ornitholo- 
gist, that the robin and the thrush do not lubricate 
their feathers. So much for the oil-gland, and its 
supposed uses. 
I will now take the liberty of assuring the Rev. 
Mr. Morris, that the feathers of the robin and the 
thrush do not become totally spoiled, as far as the 
purposes of stuffing are concerned, by immersion in 
the water; on the contrary, their plumage is improved 
by it. Merses profundo, pulchrior eveiiit I will 
engage to steep a robin and a thrush for a whole 
day in a basin of water, and make better specimens 
of them than if I had stuffed them before they had 
undergone the immersion. 
