Quills are the large wing-feathers of birds. They were long used for making pens, the quills of swans being the best but the quills of geese most commonly used while Crow-quills were used to make fine writing instruments. Quills are still used to make sign writers' brushes, as the flexible quill has less tendency to cut the delicate sable hairs than a metal ferrule. Quills used for signwriting have a wooden handle inserted into the handle end of the quill to add rigidity to the brush. Research Quill
Cinnamon is a species of laurel (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), which is chiefly found in Sri Lanka, but grows also in Malabar and other parts of the East Indies. The tree attains the height of about nine meters, has oval leaves, pale-yellow flowers, and acorn-shaped fruit. The Ceylonese bark their trees in April and November, the barkcurling up into rolls or quills in the process of drying; the smaller quills being introduced into the larger ones. These are then assorted according to quality by tasters, and made up into bundles. An oil of cinnamon is prepared in Sri Lanka, but the oil of cassia is generally substituted for it; indeed, the cassiabark is often substituted for cinnamon, to which it has some resemblance, although in its qualities it is much weaker. The leaves, the fruit, and the root of the cinnamon plant all yield oil of considerable value; that from the fruit, being highly fragrant and of thick consistence, was formerly made into candles for the sole use of the King of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Research Cinnamon
Crane is the common name of birds of the genusGrus, order Grallae, or Grallatores. They are generally of considerable size, and remarkable for their long necks and stilt-like legs, which eminently fit them for living in marshes and situations subject to inundations, where they usually seek their food. This is partly of vegetable matter, but they also devour insects, worms, frogs, lizards, reptiles, small fish, and the spawn of various aquatic animals. They build their nests among bushes or upon tussocks in marshes, and lay but two eggs.
Cranes annually migrate to distant regions, and perform voyages astonishing for their great length. The common crane (Grus cinerea) has the general plumage of an ash-grey colour, the throat black, the rump ornamented with long, stiff, and curled feathers, the head with bristly feathers; legs black and is about 120 cm long. It inhabits Europe, Asia, and the north of Africa.
The crowned crane (Grus pavonina, or Balearica pavonina) has the general plumage of a bluish ash-grey colour, the tail and primary quills black, the wing-coverts pure white and the head is crowned with a tuft of slender yellow feathers, which can be spread out at pleasure. It inhabits North and West Africa.
The demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) is so called from the elegance of its form. It is an ash-grey colour, and the head is adorned with two tufts of feathers formed by a prolongation of the ear-coverts. Its habitat is Africa and the south of Europe. Among North American species are the whooping crane (Grus americana), a larger species than the common crane, and the brown or sand-hill crane (Grus canadensis). Research Crane
The creeper is the Certhiadae family of birds which resemble the woodpecker in their habit of creeping up tree trunks with the aid of the strong quills which project from the tail-feathers, and of securing their insect food by an exsertile tongue. The common creeper (Certhia familiaris) is European, but is represented by American species. It is a pretty and interesting little bird, which builds its nest usually in holes crcrevices of trees. The wall-creeper (Tichodroma muraria} of Southern Europe searches for its insect food on rocks. The family is found in all parts of the world. Research Creeper
The emu or emeu (Dromaius Novoe Hollandioe) is a large, ostrich-like flightless bird found in the plains of Australia where it eats fruits, vegetable matter, roots etc. The emu resembles the cassowary in its vestigial wings and double- plumed feathers, but differing in the absence of the helmet, wattles, and spine-like quills on the wings. It nearly equals the ostrich in bulk, being thicker in the body, though its legs and neck are shorter. Its feet are three-toed (the ostrich has two toes), and its feathers, which are double, are of a dull sooty-brown colour, those about the, neck and head being of a hairy texture. Unusually the female emu is larger, more pugnacious and noisier than the male, resembling in demeanour the cock of other species of bird.
The wings are small and useless for flight, but the bird can run with great speed, and emu coursing as a sport was formerly very popular and led to a drastic reduction in the numbers of emus during the 19th century.
The feathers of the emu are used in industry for dust removal, for instance in the manufacture of motor vehicles, vehicles are passed through rollers covered in emu feathers to remove dust particles from the vehicle prior to it being painted - by 2008 no synthetic substance having been found which is as effective at dust removal. Research Emu
The linnet (Linota cannabina) is a small song-bird of the finch family. In the breeding plumage the male linnet has a crimson breast and crimsontints on the forehead and crown. the wing and tail quills are black with white markings, the back chestnut brown, and under surface dull white. The female and young have no crimson about them, and have both upper and lower surface streaked with dark brown. Linnets feed on oily seeds, and having a naturally sweet song were formerly favourite cage-birds. Research Linnet
A porcupine is any rodent with quills on its body, belonging to either of two families: Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) are terrestrial in habit and have long black-and-white quills. This family includes the genus Hystrix; or New World porcupines (Erethizontidae) which are tree-dwelling, with prehensile tails and much shorter quills. Research Porcupine
Tail coverts are the feathers which cover the bases of the tail quills. They are sometimes much longer than the quills, and form elegant plumes. Those above the quills are called the upper tail coverts, and those below, the under tail coverts. Research Tail Coverts
The wigeon or widgeon (Mareca penelope) is a British duck which breeds in Scotland and winters in England. The male is finely pencilled with black above and white below, with a brown and buff head and dark grey quills. It has a whistling cry, hence the name of 'whew' or 'whewer duck', and feeds largely on the sea-grass Zostera. It is a particularly pleasant duck for eating. Research Wigeon
Quills is a biographical drama starring Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine, Billie Whitelaw and Patrick Malahide in the story of the Marquis de Sade continuing to write his sexually explicit novels, despite his incarceration in a lunatic asylum, and the efforts of Napoleon to silence him. Quills was directed by Philip Kaufman in 2000. Research Quills
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Quill
