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drop off, or would not be in a ftate of per- 
feétion.. None, therefore, muft be em- 
ployed, but, thofe of birds killed. in their 
ftate of perfection, and ftripped off foon 
after their death, efpecially when the wea- 
ther is hot ; otherwife the fame effects 
would refult from corruption as from dif- 
eale. ae 
When thefkin has been freed from all 
its impuritiés, it is foread over a fmall 
table, the plumage downwards, and the 
feathers previoufly well arranged over each 
other. To fretch it better, it is fixed 
with pins, or with a thread. 
The greafe and fleth which may adhere 
to it, are then removed, and the rents in 
it, if any, are fewedup.. ‘The dkin is then 
covered with glue, prepared from.a hand- 
‘ful of farina, a pinch of common falt, and 
as much good white-wine as is neceflary 
to mix it up and bring it to the proper 
confiftence. P 
The tkirbeing thus covered, is expofed 
to dry tothe north wind, after which it is 
cleaned by fcraping it, which may be ea- 
dily done, 2s the glue detaches itfelf in 
feales. After this operation, if it fill 
‘retain any humidity, it muf& be again co- 
vered with glue, and dried as before. 
. ~~ When well dried, it is fixed with thread 
upon paper, or on aribbon, to preferve 
it, and inclofed in a box, the bottom of 
awhich is covered with abfynthium or rofe- 
wood. If an agreeable odour be required 
im thefkin, it will be neceflary, before it is 
taken from the table, and after it has 
been fcraped, to give it, with a fponge, a 
ftratum or two of fome odoriferous compo- - 
fition. 
When the fkins are thofe of large birds, 
vinegar, in which falt or-alum has been 
' diflelved, is ufed inftead of wine ; feveral 
trata of this mixture are ‘daubed - over 
them ; the quantity depends on the thick- 
nefs of the fkin. 
Writing-Quills. 
Pens, for fuch is the name given to the 
feathers of the wings and tails of birds, 
to diftinguifh them from the feathers, pro- 
perly fo called, by which their bodies are 
-covered, are the longeft and ftrongeft of 
all the feathers. Thofe of {wans, geele, 
and crows, are employed in preference to 
all others for economics] purpofes, and 
according to the quality of their barrels. 
Thus, the quiils of the fwan are mot 
eficemed ‘for writing and for forfhing 
brufhes.; thofe of the goofe, which are 
more plentiful, arid almof as good as 
thofe of the fwan, are more generally ufe 
for writing ; and thofe of the crow are 
ae 
On the Feathers and Dewn of Domeftic Polk. [May It, 
more particularly employed for the keys of 
harp{ichords, and by draftfmen in thofe  ~ 
kinds of drawings which are executed 
with the pen. a 
Method of Dutchifying Quills. 
The .bird which fupplies the greateft 
quantity of writing-pens is the goofe.— 
One furnithes quills of ten different qua- 
lities ; but there always remains on their 
furface a grea(y matter, from which they 
mutt be freed to render them pure, tranf- 
parent, fhining, and, ina word, proper for 
acquiring the neceflary qualities. This 
preparation is generally given to them by 
the Dutch. Hence the expreflion of dutchs- 
JSying quills, to denote the operation to 
which they are fubjected. I took advan- 
tage of the circumftances of the war, 
when feveral apothecaries, acquainted 
with the arts and {ciences, were employed 
in Batavia, to requeft them to procure 
-fome information in regard to a procefs 
which is ftill very little known. ‘The fol- 
lowing is the fubftance of what was com- 
municated to me. 
The procefs confifts in immerfing the 
quill, when plucked from the wing of the 
bird, into water almoft boiling; to leave 
it there till it becomes fufficiently foft ; 
to comprefs it, turning it‘on its axis with 
the back of the blade of aknife. This 
kind of friction, 2s well as the immerfions 
in water, being continued till the barrel of. 
the quill be tranfparent, and the mem- 
brane, as well as the greafy kind of co- 
vering, be entirely removed, it is immerf- 
ed a laft time to render it perfeétty cylin-: 
drical, which is performed with the index~ ~ 
finger andthe thumb, It is then driedin 
a gentle temperature. . 
Feathers and Down for Cufhions. 
Pillows,.mattrefles, and cufhions, may 
be filled with the {mall feathers of domei- 
tic fowls and pigeons. There are fome 
cantons in which they are employed for 
this purpofe; but for the moit part the 
down of the palmipedes is chofen. ‘Thofe 
of birds of prey might be employed alfo, 
were they fufficiently numerous to pto- 
mife abundance. 
_ There are two kinds of down. One, 
which is negleCted, confifts of light foft 
barbs, open, briltiy, and without connec- 
tion, which cover a great many young 
birds foon after birth, and which drop off 
in proportion as they are developed. The 
other, more adherent, which are carefull 
collested, conift of thofe fhort feathers, 
with flender barrels, and long, equal, dif 
united barbs, with which nature has com- 
pofed the warm clothing of birds which, 
take © 
Fy 
