The light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds

Usage examples of plumage.

But to beings like the Ambassadress the occasional parasite plucked from their own plumage is like a salted peanut is to us.

The next time you see a tree waving in the wind, recollect that it is the tail of a great underground, many-armed, polypus-like creature, which is as proud of its caudal appendage, especially in summer-time, as a peacock of his gorgeous expanse of plumage.

Nevertheless, they saw, though unable to get near them, a couple of those large birds peculiar to Australia, a sort of cassowary, called emu, five feet in height, and with brown plumage, which belong to the tribe of waders.

Behind him crouched a Grackle whose frayed and dusty plumage had lost nearly all its iridescence.

This effect is often seen at the top of the sky in a Japanese landscape print where a dark blue band of colour is printed with a soft edge suddenly gradated to white, or sometimes the plumage of birds is printed with sudden gradations.

It was a gyrfalcon, as was to be expected, its plumage as black as night.

It was indeed a jacamar, of which the plumage shines with a metallic luster.

In the silence he heard the silvery call of a bell bird, and a rush of wings as a kereru, a fat native wood pigeon with sleek green plumage and a white bib at its throat, flew overhead.

The water ouzels were bobbing at each other in courtship display, but she always wondered how they could walk underwater without getting their plumage waterlogged.

Into the setting sun he flies, his majestic plumage stained a dilute scarlet and, glancing once more earthward, he sees a dark and tiny shadow limned before the glare of the ice.

Why had he wantoned on his glittering plumage amidst these harsh and ungenial strangers, dazzling the eyes with his gorgeous hues, charming the ear with his blithesome song--thus suddenly to be arrested--caged in darkness--a victim and a prey--his gay flights for ever over--his hymns of gladness for ever stilled!

Black, white, or gray cockatoos, paroquets, with plumage of all colors, kingfishers of a sparkling green and crowned with red, blue lories, and various other birds appeared on all sides, as through a prism, fluttering about and producing a deafening clamor.

Jory, green parrot, and paroquets of different species and sizes, ornamented with the most gay and luxuriant plumage that can be conceived.

It tidied its parroty plumage and aligned its antigravity primaries with fussy movements, then lifted its tail to splatter the ledge beneath the post.

The scorning jay: scorning humbler birds, out of pride of his fine plumage.