HEAD AND BODY 



15 



The space just below the bill in front is the chin (see cut) ; 

 below this, to about the bend of the closed wing (sometimes 

 including the chin), is the throat. The greatest bulging portion 

 of the body in front is the breast. From this backward, under 

 the body, about to the legs in most birds, is the belly. Back of 

 the position of. the legs, in typical birds like the English 

 sparrow, is the anal region (this is not marked on the diagram), 



and still further back is the crissum, or under tail coverts. From 

 the hind neck about half way to the tail is the back; next comes 

 the rumj), and then the npjjer tail coverts. The under and iipper 

 tail coverts are formed of those feathers which cover the stem 

 portion of the tail feathers. By the side of the back there are 

 often a number of enlarged feathers, and these form the scapu- 

 lars or shoulders. Under the wings are the sides in front, and 

 the flanks back of them. In the description of birds in 

 Part II., the expression back or upper parts is often used, in a 

 more general sense, to include all of the back, rump, etc. In the 

 same way beloiv is used to include nearly all the lower parts. 



