DRY DUCK
WHY DOES A DUCK KEEP DRY IN THE WATER??
There
are really several reasons. For one thing, the feathers which cover the body of
the duck are so thick that the water on which the duck is floating does not
come in contact with the air underneath the feather, so that the skin of the
duck is kept dry and warm. But this would not be enough by itself. There is a
structure called a gland, which has an opening in the back of the duck near the
tail. The business of this gland is to secrete
oil, and a quite a lot of oil is produced from it. This oil is used by
the duck to smear over its feathers to make them extremely smooth and slippery.
Now, it is a very curious thing that oil and water will not mix, and so the
duck, or any other water bird, having covered its feathers with a thin layer of
this oil, prevents the water from wetting this feathers.
(source:TBOK v7)
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