EVERY-DAY LIFE. 
263 
the water off, and then wrings out, as it were, each feather, 
by passing it between the mandibles ; lastly, the feathers 
are laid in order, and then greased with oil from the 
glands at the root of the tail. The last operation is much 
more important for the aquatic than the land bird, and 
is, therefore, much more carefully performed by the 
former than the latter. In spite of the perfect con¬ 
struction and adaptation of the feathers, they become 
wetted after either long swimming or repeated diving, 
and must, on this account, be re-dressed, so as to prepare 
them for further work; thus, aquatic birds re-arrange 
their plumage several times in the course of the day, 
and this they do partly while swimming, but principally 
ashore. Every water bird on landing stands straight up 
and shakes off all the water from its feathers that it 
possibly can by flapping its wings and by a convulsive 
movement of the skin; after this the bird ruffles its 
feathers with its beak, and then gives another shake ; 
this is repeated until the plumage appears sufficiently 
dry. The feathers which cover the oil-glands are now 
erected, and the oil secreted there is extracted by pressure 
from the beak, and carried on both the inside and outside 
of the lower mandible. Now, each feather in want of 
lubrication is drawn singly through the beak, and is at 
the same time smoothed and laid in its place. The 
extreme mobility of the bird’s neck enables it to grease 
every feather of its body with the greatest facility, 
except those of the head and upper part of the neck; 
these are, however, rubbed against the already impreg¬ 
nated feathers of the breast, wings, and lower part of the 
neck, until they have become sufficiently oiled. The 
wing- and breast-feathers are always treated with extra¬ 
ordinary care, not less so, however, than the highly 
