304 



THE PIGEON. PHYLUM CHORDATA 



named, according to the bones which give them support, as 

 follows : 



BONE 



Humerus 

 Ulna 



Metacarpal II 

 Digit II 

 Digit I 



FEATHERS 



Humerals 



Secondaries or cubitals 



Metacarpal quills ] -r^ . 



^. ., . [Primaries 



Digitals J 



Ala spuria or bastard wing 



I 



Remiges 

 {sing. 

 remex) 



The remiges, which are the largest feathers, are firmly based 

 in the bone ; they are covered, above and below, by several series 



Fig. 309. — A plucked pigeon, seen in ventral view. 

 apt., Apteria ; cl., cloacal opening ; cr., cere ; ear ; na., nostril ; ptl., pteryla ; px., thumb ; scL, scales on foot. 



of smaller feathers called coverts, or tectrices, to which series 

 the humerals belong. The coverts are based in the skin, of which 

 two loose folds, the propatagium and postpatagium, connect 

 the shoulder with the anterior and posterior borders of the fore- 

 arm respectively. The pigeon has eleven primaries, of which the 



