7/2/2023 0 Comments Alula feather![]() ![]() Internally it is not hollow, but rather is filled with a pithy material that contains air cells. It differs from the quill by being roughly rectangular in cross section. It is flattened on the sides that support the barbs. The shaft or rachis is that portion of the feather that the barbs are attached to. There are no barbs attached to the quill. It is cylindrical, transparent, and hollow. The fact of the matter is that the quill is simply that portion of the feather that is inserted in the skin follicle nothing more. The quill or calamus is often mistakenly described as being anything from the feather shaft to the barbs themselves. ![]() Sadly it is easier to take for granted what has been said in the past rather than investigate on our own. ![]() Understanding leads to better results in any endeavor. Perhaps just as important has been a desire to whet the appetite of the fly tier toward a better understanding of not only physical construction, types, and purposes of feathers, but also to make that same tier more curious about other materials not understood. ![]() All the same great effort has been placed on accuracy of feather and component names and descriptions. The following discussion is general in its scope while being specific enough to cover the majority of feather types that the fly tier will encounter. Feathers are as unique as the birds that wear them. This article is not intended to be a complete scientific discourse on the nature of feathers. It also leads to a more appropriate selection of materials for specific tasks. What does understanding of feather construction lead to? Better flies that we control rather than the material controlling us. For instance why does a dry fly hackle when wound on an uneven surface (i.e., twisted thread, bulky surface, etc.) lead to a fly with the barbs strewn all about? Why does a hackle mounted on an even surface produces a fly with barbs at a distinct ninety degree angle out from that surface? If you understand the rectangular shape of the rachis and the location of the barbs on the rachis it all makes sense. The parts of a typical feather are simple to learn, and once understood help us to better appreciate why feathers do what they do in different applications. It may not be necessary to know scientific names, but if we wish to communicate, we need to have standards. We have all read fly patterns that refer to quills, barbs, barbules, fibers, shafts, stems, vanes and so forth, but when we read these terms do we know what they have reference to? We may, but what about the author did he truly describe by name what he intended? How often have we read quill when in fact what was referred to was actually a barb or perhaps shaft? How often have we read fibers when the author meant barbs or perhaps barbules? How often have we read barbs, barbules, fibers or even barbels (which are tactile processes on the lips of a fish rather than components of a feather) when referring to a feather's ability to marry, but in actuality barbicels or perhaps more specifically hooklets is what was meant? If we spoke the same language we would better comprehend what was intended. In turn it behooves us as fly tiers to speak the same language. We need to have standardsĪn important aspect of fly tying is sharing information. This article is part of Project Anatomy, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each anatomical term related to birds.A part of learning to do flies like this one is learning to know the main material: feathers. This article is part of Project Glossary, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each term related to animals. ![]()
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