1805.] 
Others, fought for on account of the 
Jehgth and folidity of their barrels, and 
the facility with which they can be cut at 
pleafure for writing, become the interpre- 
ters of our thoughts. Among the Euro- 
peans, they form an adv antageous fubiti- 
tute for the reeds employed by the-Arabs, 
and for the ftyle with which the Ancients 
enyraved upon tablets. 
‘There are feathers alfo proper for filling. 
thofe cufhions, on which, when fatigued 
with the labours of the day, we repole 
during the night. Itis from among the 
latter’ that Luxury herfelf has {elected 
fome of peculiar finenefs, lightnefs, and 
elafticity, to form of them a bed: on which 
fhe enjoys gentle fleep. 
Plumes and other Oraaments of Luxury. 
The moft beautiful and moft efteemed 
of all the plumes are thofe made’ of the 
_ feathers of the oftrich, that fingular biped, 
which has‘its feet and parts of generation 
like thofe of quadrupeds, the head of birds, 
and the faculty of laying 5 ; the ftomach 
and inteftines of ruminating animals, and 
yet the gizzard of fowls; which has its 
body covered partly with hair and partly 
with. feathers; in a word, which’ has 
wings which are not the inftruments of - 
flying, but only a kind of balance, with 
which it fupports itfelf, and eafily pre- 
ferves an equilibrium in the exceedingly 
rapid courfes which it performs in the 
deferts of Africa. 
The plumage of the male is black, with ' 
fome gray and white feathers; that of the 
female is brown, and of an afh gray; the 
Jarge feathers of the wings and ‘tail are 
white i in the male and black in the female. 
What in particular diftinguifhes thefe 
large feathers, and renders them proper for 
mzking plumes, is, that they are’ foft, 
open, and flexible; that their barbs, com- 
pofed of detached filaments, withcut con- 
“fiftence and adhefion, are long and full ; 
’ breed, 
| &ggs, iis fiefh,and its feathers. 
t 
aad, lafly, thatthe white plumes ofthe male 
‘are fulceptible of afluming the fineft tints. 
The rarity and high price of thefe 
oftrich feathers, which are brought to us 
from the Levant, might, no doubt, have 
fuggetted the idea of naturalizing thefe 
birds in Europe, had it been believed that 
they were capable of refiding in any place 
but the burning fands of Africa. “Bout 
thert is another kind of oftrich, that of 
Magellan, which, imhabiting the cold dif- 
tricts of South America, might thrive in 
our climates.. It would be neceffa y to’ 
Introduce it, and to try to su! Itiply the 
in order to take advantage of lis 
MonTHuLy Mac. No, oe! 
’ 
ae 
On the eaters and Down of Dameftic Fowls. 
329 
Tn the mean time, theres is another fpe= 
culation which would fucceed more {pees 
dily, and with more certainty. It is, to 
multiply white turkeys, and to employ - 
for plumes the feathers found on the late- 
ral part of the thighs of thefe animals.—= 
This fubltitute for oltrich feathers would 
become ufeful to commerce. 
Befides the large cftrich-feathers high 
are feen waving ‘with fo much grace over 
the head-drefs of ladies, there are fome 
taken from other birds which ferve alfa 
for ornamenting thefe heads. Of this 
kind are:the feathers of the bird of paras 
dife, and particularly the long and beauti- 
ful black feathers which proceed from the 
top of the head of the heron, forming an 
aigrette, which is balanced on their neck, 
Luxury adorns itfelf alfo with the feathers 
of the peacock. Thecolours of gold and 
of precious ftones which nature. has be. 
flowed in profufion on the tail of this 
beautiful bird, are its exclufive property. 
Thofe of the petten birds, the humming- 
bird, and others of the large family of the 
wocdpeckers, exhibit the frefhnefs and 
velvety appearance of flowers, the polifh 
of the moft brilliant metals, the {plendour 
of the moft precious ftones, and the varie= 
gated and dazzling refle€tion of the rays 
ofthe fun. It has employed, in trimming 
robes, the beautiful yellow and brilliant 
feathers of theneckof the toucan. Ithas 
“not even difdained to ufe, for the like pur- 
pofe, the azured feathers of the jay, and 
with which that in the fable was not con- 
eek: 
So active a war was ea on fome 
time ago againft thefe birds, in order to 
obtain their feathers, that the farmers flat. 
tered themfelves with the hope of being 
foon freed from them. Unfortunately 
the rage for the feathers of the jay is over, 
and that bird continues, as before, to ra- 
vage the fields. 
Not fatisfied with obje€ts of ornament, ° 
for which luxury employed thofe feathers, 
embellifhed with the moft brilliant co- 
lours, the idea has been conceived of ren-_ 
dering them ufeful. 
It is with {kins furnifhed with feathers 
of the fame birds, to which are added, 
thofe of the fwan, duck, diver, pintado, 
pheafant, éc. that muffs and palatines are 
made. 
The fkins deftined for this purpofe - 
(fays M. Vieillot, ‘in the Nowweau Diction- 
nae a Hiftoire Naturelle), ought not to 
be thole of birds which have died of dif- 
- eafe, or which have’ been killed in. moult - 
In this cafe the feathers would 
drop 
ing time. 
Uu 
