If white feathers, wash and rinse them thoroughly with hot water, and
if faded out light colors, extract color by bleaching with permanganate
of potash in the usual way; being careful to rinse well in hot water
to remove all the acid used in bleaching before entering bath. Prepare
bath as follows: about a gallon of luke warm water, and add a small
handful of starch. Enter feathers, rub around in bath between the
hands, take out and add a few drops of diluted safranine, and copperas
about the size of a pea. Enter feathers and let remain in bath about
one minute; take out and add about half a teaspoonful of diluted
aniline brown; re-enter feathers and let them remain in about half a
minute longer; after which dry in the usual way. If found too pink for
sample, add a few drops more aniline brown, and return to bath for
a few seconds. If found too yellow, add a few drops more of diluted
safranine, and keep in bath a few seconds longer; if wanted darker, add
a little more of each color, and keep in bath longer.