Feathered skin
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Feathered skin of a chicken (HE): feather follicle
Feathers are produced and supported by feather follicles which are located in the dermis of the pterylae. The hollow basal portion of the shaft of a feather that is implanted in the follicle, is called the calamus.
The feather on the micrograph above is a contour feather. Centrally in the follicle we can see the air space surrounded by the calamus. Smooth muscles, the feather muscles (mm. pennati, mm. pennarum-NAA), end on the wall of the follicle.
For more detail: see subgalleries of feathers.