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Intellectual History Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2017

Gettysburg College

History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

Antomy

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Full-Text Articles in Intellectual History

Under The Wing Of A Creature Of The Night, Julia M. Chin Oct 2017

Under The Wing Of A Creature Of The Night, Julia M. Chin

Wonders of Nature and Artifice

Magnificent in its sheer power and beauty, this owl wing has a wingspan of 18 inches and measures 10 inches from the shoulder bone to the secondary feathers. Wings such as the one displayed play a vital role in the lifestyle of owls and other hunting birds who fulfill their dietary requirements through stealthy foraging in the dark of the night. Being predatory animals, an owl depends upon its wings as a weapon, equipping it with an arsenal worthy of any hunter. Because of their composition of downy feathers, soft fringes, and comb-like primary feathers, these light appendages create less …