Femina
Full definition of femina
Noun
- A wing feather from a female ostrich.
- 1881, Arthur Douglass, Ostrich Farming in South Africa. Being an Account of Its Origin and Rise; How to set about it; The Profits to be derived; How to Manage the Birds; The Capital required; the Diseases and Difficulties to be met with, &c. &c. Chapter Preparing the Feathers for Market, The numbers are given here to show all the whites together, and then the feminas, &c.; but in sending them to market it is better to arrange the numbers so that a lot of whites are followed by a lot of feminas, then a lot of whites again, then a lot of fancy colours, then whites again, and so on right through.
- 12 June 1895, London Produce, Feathers. — The auctions will comprise 3168 cases, containing 58,000lbs., against 53,800lb. in last sales. There was a good demand, and white and white and light Femina best quality were firm, seconds and inferior 10s. to 15s. per lb. higher.
- 8 September 1899, The Ostrich Feather Market, A noticeable feature of the sales was the quantity of fine goods, principally of white and feminas. The best white qualities and good broken brought 10 per cent. to 15 per cent. advance, while other qualities sold firmly. White and light femina were also 10 to 15 per cent. dearer, principally for the best lines. Dark femina and byocks were 10 per cent. higher.
- 1909, 3.—Wing-Quills or Remiges; Whites and Feminas.—The wing-quills are the largest feathers in the wing, and are arranged in a single row. They include the “Whites†in the cock, and the “Feminas†in the hen, as well as the “Byocks†or “Fancies†in the cock.
- 12 August 1909, Ostrich Feathers of Tripoli, The usual kinds of ostrich feathers known to the trade come into the Tripoli market. These are whites, blacks, feminas, byocks, spadonas, boos, drabs and floss.
- 17 July 1912, The feminas brought from $97.35 to $109.50, while spadones were sacrificed at from $34 to $47.45.
- 1913, It is somewhat larger than the Southern bird and the plumage of young birds and also the feminas are darker.
- 7 September 1921, RAW OSTRICH FEATHERS
Primes, Wings, White Feminas, Spads, Etc. - 1923, This parcel included 286 lbs. of feathers known as whites, and 211 lbs. of feathers known as feminas. The whites are described as lot 12, and the feminas as lot 13.