Tails 415 



the tail proper, as the elongated middle feathers of the 

 male Pintail Duck and the Sharp-tailed Grouse. 



Turning to a few of the more decorative tails in the 

 world of birds, we find a small Australian bird, known 

 as the Emeu-wren, bearing aloft a half-dozen long feathers, 

 so scantily clothed with barbs as to resemble somewhat 

 the plumage of the Emeu itself. These skeleton plumes, 

 for they are little else, while giving a striking appearance 



Fig. 330.— Tail of Emeu- wren. (Cf. with Fig. 23.) 



to the owner, must radically weaken its flight, as regards 

 steering capacity; since the open-work mesh of the vanes 

 can offer no resistance to the air. Indeed it is said of 

 this bird that it is such a poor flier that it is seldom seen 

 on the wing, but it runs rapidly and is able to leap into 

 the lower branches of trees. The penalty of danger from 

 weakened flight which the Emeu-wren must pay for his 

 caudal decoration is paralleled by certain little whydah- 

 finches of Africa, the males of which at the breeding 

 season are decorated w^ith several tail-feathers over five 



