that　the　geese　reared　in　England　could　not　furnish
  nearly　enough　for　the　demand；　hence　the　importation
  of　goose　quills　from　the　Continent　was　very　large。
  The　process　surrounding　the　manufacture　of　a　quill
  pen　proves　of　considerable　interest。
  〃The　geese　are　plucked　of　their　feathers　three
  or　four　times　a　year；　the　first　time　for　the　sake　both
  of　the　quills　and　the　feathers；　but　the　other　times
  for　the　feathers　only。　The　pen　quills　are　generally
  taken　from　the　ends　of　the　wings。　When　plucked
  the　quills　are　found　to　be　covered　with　a　membranous
  skin；　resulting　from　a　decay　of　a　kind　of
  sheath　which　had　enveloped　them；　the　interior
  vascular　membrane；　too；　resulting　from　the　decay
  of　the　vascular　pith；　adheres　so　strongly　to　the　barrel
  of　the　quill　as　to　be　with　difficulty　separated；
  while；　at　the　same　time；　the　barrel　itself　is　opaque；
  soft；　and　tough。　To　remove　these　various　defects
  the　quills　undergo　several　processes。　In　the　first
  instance；　as　a　means　of　removing　the　membraneous
  skin；　the　quills　are　plunged　into　heated　sand；　the
  high　temperature　of　which　causes　the　external　skin
  of　the　barrel　to　crack　and　peel　off；　and　the　internal
  membrane　to　shrivel　up。　The　outer　membrane
  is　then　scraped　off　with　a　sharp　instrument；
  while　the　inner　membrane　remains　in　a　state　to　be
  easily　detached。　For　the　finest　quills　the　heating
  is　repeated　two　or　three　times。　The　heat　of　the
  sand；　by　consuming　or　drying　up　the　natural
  moisture　of　the　barrel；　renders　it　harder　and　more
  transparent。　In　order　to　give　the　barrel　a　yellow
  color；　and　a　tendency　to　split　more　readily　and
  clearly；　it　is　dipped　in　weak　nitric　acid；　but　this
  was　considered　to　render　the　quill　more　brittle　and
  less　durable；　and　was　therefore　a　sacrifice　of　utility
  for　the　sake　of　appearance。〃
  〃Oh！　nature's　noblest　giftmy　gray　goose　quill！
  Slave　of　my　thoughts；　obedient　to　my　will；
  Torn　from　thy　parent　bird　to　form　a　pen；
  That　mighty　instrument　of　little　men！〃
  BYRON。
  To　locate　an　exact　period　for　the　invention　of　the　quill
  pen　is　impossible。　It　could　hardly　have　been　in　use
  before　the　fourth　century；　probably　not　earlier　than
  two　centuries　later。　Some　writers　have　assumed　that
  it　was　employed　by　the　Romans；　but　as　no　distinct
  mention　is　made　of　them　by　early　classical　authors　we
  must　accept　the　only　information　at　hand。
  Isidore　（died　A。　D。　636）　and　contemporaries　state
  that　the　quills　of　birds　came　into　use　as　pens　only　in
  the　sixth　century。　It　is　also　known；　St。　Brovverus
  being　the　authority；　that　in　his　time　（seventh　century）
  the　calamus　or　reed　pen　and　the　quill　pen　were
  employed　together；　the　calamus　being　used　in　the
  writing　of　the　uncial　（inch）　letters　and　capitals；　and
  the　quill　for　smaller　letters。　Mention　is　also　made　by
  many　writers　of　the　five　centuries　which　followed
  Isidore's　time　of　the　calamus；　indicating　that
  notwithstanding　it　had　been　superseded　by　the　quill
  it　was　still　a　favorite　writing　implement　in　some　places。
  The　use　of　the　〃steel　pen〃　did　not　spring　immediately
  from　that　of　the　〃quill　pen。〃　There　were
  several　intermediate　stages　adopted　before　the　fitness
  of　steel　for　this　purpose　was　sufficiently　known；
  From　about　1800　to　1835　the　number　of　proposed
  substitutes　for　the　quill　pen　was　very　considerable。
  Horn　pens；　tortoise…shell　pens；　nibs　of　diamond　or　ruby
  imbedded　in　tortoise　shell；　nibs　of　ruby　set　in　fine　gold；
  nibs　of　rhodium　and　of　iridium　imbedded　in　gold；
  all　have　been　adopted　at　different　times；　but　most　of
  them　have　been　found　too　costly　for　general　adoption。
  Steel　is　proved　to　be　sufficiently　elastic　and　durable
  to　form　very　good　pens；　and　the　ingenuity　of　manufacturers
  has　been　exerted　to　give　to　such　pens　as
  many　as　possible　of　the　good　qualities　possessed　by
  the　quill　pen。
  The　original　flexible　iron　pen　of　modern　times　was
  an　experimental　affair　probably；　being　mentioned　by
  Chamberlayne　as　far　back　as　1685。
  The　first　steel　pens　in　regular　use　were　made　by
  Wise；　in　London；　in　1803；　and　for　many　years　thereafter。
  His　pen　was　made　with　a　barrel；　by　which　it
  was　slipped　upon　a　straight　handle。　In　its　portable
  form　it　was　mounted　in　a　bone　case　for　the　pocket。
  Prejudice；　however；　was　strong　against　them；　and　up
  to　1835　or　thereabouts　quills　maintained　their　full
  sway；　and　much　later　among　the　old…fashioned　folks。
  To　him；　however；　is　due　the　credit　of　being　the　inventor
  of　the　modern　steel　pen。
  It　has　been　the　thought　of　some　people　that　Gillott
  was　the　progenitor　of　the　steel　pen；　but　he　was　not。
  Arnoux；　a　French　mechanic；　made　metallic　pens　with
  side　slits　in　1750。　Samuel　Harrison；　an　Englishman；
  made　a　steel　pen　for　Dr。　Priestly　in　1780。　Peregrine
  Williamson；　a　native　of　New　York；　while　engaged　as
  a　jeweler　in　the　city　of　Baltimore；　made　steel　pens　in
  1800。
  Perry's　first　pens　were　of　steel；　rolled　from　wire；
  the　material　costing　seven　shillings　a　pound。　Five
  shillings　each　was　paid　the　workman　for　making　them；
  this　was　afterward　reduced　to　thirty…six　shillings
  per　gross；　which　price　was　continued　for　several
  years。
  It　was　Joseph　Gillott；　however；　originally　a　Sheffield
  cutler；　and　afterwards　a　workman　in　light　steel　articles；
  as　buckles；　chains；　and　other　articles　of　that　class；　who
  in　1822　gave　impulse　to　the　steel…pen　manufacture。
  Previous　to　his　entering　the　business　the　pens　were
  cut　out　with　shears　and　finished　with　the　file。　Gillott
  adapted　the　stamping　press　to　the　requirements　of　the
  manufacture；　as　cutting　out　the　blanks；　forming　the
  slits；　bending　the　metal；　and　impressing　the　maker's
  name　on　the　pens。　He　also　devised　improved　modes
  of　preparing　the　metal　for　the　action　of　the　press；
  tempering；　cleansing；　and　polishing；　and；　in　short；
  many　little　details　of　manufacture　necessary　to　give
  them　the　required　flexibility　to　enable　them　to　compete
  with　the　quill　pen。　One　great　difficulty　to　be
  overcome　was　their　extreme　hardness　and　stiffness；
  this　was　effected　by　making　slits　at　the　side　in　addition
  to　the　central　one；　which　had　previously　been
  solely　used。　A　further　improvement；　that　of　cross
  grinding　the　points；　was　subsequently　adopted。　The
  first　gross　of　pens　with　three　slits　was　sold　for　seven
  pounds。　In　1830　the　price　was　2。00；　in　1832；　1。50；
  in　1861；　12　cents；　and　a　common　variety　for　4　cents　a
  gross。　About　9；300　tons　of　steel　are　annually
  consumed；　the　number　of　pens　produced　in　England　alone
  being　about　8；000；000；000。
  Bramah　patented　quill　nibs　made　by　splitting
  quills　and　cutting　the　semicylinders　into　sections
  which　were　shaped　into　pens　and　adapted　to　be
  placed　in　a　holder。　These　were；　perhaps；　the　first
  nibs；　the　progenitors　of　a　host　of　steel；　gold；　and
  other　pens。
  Hawkins　and　Mordan；　in　1823；　made　nibs　of　horn
  and　tortoise　shell；　instead　of　quill。　The　tortoise　shell
  being　softened；　points　of　ruby　and　diamond　were　imbedded。
  Metallic　points　were　also　cemented　to　the
  shell　nibs。
  Doughty；　about　1825；　made　gold　pens　with　ruby
  points。
  Gold　pens　with　rhodium　or　iridium　points　were
  introduced　soon　afterwards。
  Mordan's　oblique　pen；　English　patent；　1831；　was
  designed　to　present　the　nibs　in　the　right　direction
  while　preserving　the　customary　positions　of　the　pen
  and　hand。
  The　fountain　pen　carries　a　supply　of　ink；　fed　gradually
  to　the　point　of　the　instrument。　The　first　made
  by　Scheffer　was　introduced　about　1835　by　Mordan。
  The　pressure　of　the　thumb　on　a　stud　in　a　holder
  caused　a　continuous　supply　of　ink　to　flow　from　the
  reservoir　to　the　pen。
  The　〃stylographic〃　is　a　reservoir　pen　shaped　like
  a　pencil；　in　which　the　flow　of　ink　is　regulated　by
  pressure　of　a　style　or　fine　needle　with　blunt　point
  upon　the　paper。　It　must　be　held　in　a　vertical　position。
  All　marks　made　with　one；　both　up　and　down
  strokes；　are　equal　in　width。
  Gold　pens　are　now　usually　tipped　with　iridium；
  making　what　are　commonly　known　as　diamond　points。
  〃The　iridium　for　this　purpose　is　found　in　small
  grains　of　platinum；　slightly　alloyed　with　this　latter
  metal。　The　gold　for　pens　is　alloyed　with　silver　to
  about　sixteen　carats　fineness；　rolled　into　thin　strips；
  from　which　the　blanks　are　struck。　The　under　side
  of　the　point　is　notched　by　a　small　circular　saw　to
  receive　the　iridium　point；　which　is　selected　with　the
  aid　of　a　microscope。　A　flux　of　borax　and　a　blowpipe
  secure　it　to　its　place。　The　point　is　then　ground
  on　a　copper　wheel　of　emery。　The　pen…blank　is　next
  rolled　to　the　requisite　thinness　by　the　means　of　rollers
  especially　adapted　for　the　purpose；　and　tempered
  by　blows　from　a　hammer。　It　is　then　trimmed
  around　the　edges；　stamped；　and　formed　in　a　press。
  The　slit　is　next　cut　through　the　solid　iridium　point
  by　means　of　a　thin　copper　wheel　fed　with　fine　emery；
  and　a　saw　extends　the　aperture　along　the　pen　itself。
  The　inside　edges　of　the　slit　are　smoothed