Feather development non-nervous. They have a tubular central shaft called the rachis; coming off either side of the rachis are the veins, which have a series of barbs with interlocking connections that are called barbules. The rachis and attached veins make up the spathe. The opposite of the rachis is the calamus, which anchors the feather to the body and is moved by attached dermal muscles. There are many different types of feathers that mostly follow this basic design with few variations based on evolutionary needs. Feathers are sometimes referred to as “elaborate reptile scales” just as birds are sometimes viewed as
Calamus Creek (Wisconsin) Calamus Creek (Wisconsin) Calamus Creek is a minor tributary of the Beaver Dam River, about long, in southeastern Wisconsin in the United States. Via the Beaver Dam, Crawfish, and Rock rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. Its watershed lies almost entirely within Dodge County with a small portion in neighboring Columbia County. Calamus Creek rises in west central Dodge County near the intersection of Mt. Pleasant and Van Buren roads and follows a highly winding, generally easterly course through Dodge County. It flows into the Beaver Dam River about southwest of Beaver Dam, near the