FEATHERS

Clearly written, carefully organized, enhanced with striking color photos: a superior science title guaranteed to reveal things you never knew about the structures that make birds unique. Patent describes the form and function of the six different types of feathers and discusses their relation to flight, growing and molting, keeping birds warm or cool, and the role of color in camouflage and attracting mates. The details here are fascinating: The owl's densely packed face feathers help it hunt by gathering and focusing sound; the metallic sheen of herons is caused by ``powder-down'' feathers; the hummingbird's iridescence is due to twisted barbules coated with three thin films that trap air bubbles and reflect light. Challenging reading, but well worth the effort. Technical terms are italicized and defined in the text. Index. (Nonfiction. 10+)