"Such a coat of feathers closely overlapping oneanother is of course very warm. But some birds, such as ducks and geese and swans, that spend much of their time in the water, both in winter and summer, are still further protected from cold. They have a close-fitting under-jacket of very small, fine, soft, fluffy feathers, which we call down.""Yes," said Norah, "I have seen the down on the geese at Christmas time, and how tiresome it is to pick it all off clean."SUMMARY
Birds are clothed with feathers. They do not nurse their young. They have wings, and fly in the air. Birds have large quill feathers in the wings and tail, and clothing feathers to cover the body. Some birds have soft down under-jackets.
Lesson 04
A Feather
"Where have you been, Fred?" asked Will. "We have hunted everywhere for you.""I"ve been in the fowls" house," said Fred, "to find a few feathers. Look what a fine lot I"ve got. They will do well, won" t they?""Oh, I know," said Will. "You are thinking about our lesson. Yes, they will be just the thing. Where"s Norah?"In a few minutes the three were seated at the table ready for a chat, and Fred handed some of the quill feathers round.