Fur and hair.
Animals in very cold climates need a very warm covering. They therefore have a thick fur. But animals that live in warm countries have rather thin hair instead of fur. The elephant has very little hair, and it is only with the greatest care that he can be made to live through our cold winters. The same is true of the monkey. If these animals had a good covering of fur on their skins, the cold would not affect them in this way.
Blanketing the horse.
The hair of the horse is rather thin. It is not like fur; and if the horse’s master is kind, he is very careful to put a good blanket on him whenever the cold makes it necessary. If he did not, the horse would get chilled and take cold. The horse is not a native of cold countries, but of such warm countries as South America and Arabia. There horses run wild, and are always in large companies or herds.
The fur of the cat.
You know how thick the fur is on the cat. You can see how fine it is, and how thickly the hairs stand together, if you blow on it so as to separate the hairs. With this warm coat on her, she does not feel the cold much. You see her often in cold weather out-of-doors, with her feet gathered up under her to keep them warm. The monkey, with his thin hair, could not do so. He has to be kept in a warm place in the winter.
Feathers.
The covering of birds, while it is such as to keep them warm, is very light. If it were not so, they could not fly as well as they do. Feathers are so light, that, when we wish to speak of any thing as being very light, we say that it is as light as a feather. The downy feathers on the breast of birds are especially light. The feathers of the wings are different. They are made strong for the work of flying, and at the same time they are quite light. How this is done I have told you in the chapter before this.
The oily feathers of the duck.