METHOD OF USING THE KEY 



41 



est tail feather to the flesh in which it is fastened. This 

 cannot be accurately measured without feeling (by placino- 

 the thumb and first finger above and below the tail coverts) 

 for the fleshy mass to which all tail feathers are attached. 

 The " tarsus " can be readily measured. It is the distance 

 from the joint at the heel to the toes. The word " cuhnen " is 

 almost always used in the book instead of "bill,'' because its 

 measurement is more easy and certain. It is the straight dis- 



tance from the beginning of the bill at the forehead to the tip. 

 The '' toe " measures only the length to the base of the nail. 

 If length to the tip of nail is intended, the expression "toe 

 and nail " or " toe and claw " is used. 



The name at the beginning of each description is the common 

 name of the bird as decided upon by the American Ornitholo- 

 gists' Union; the names at the end in parenthesis are other 

 names in more or less common use. 



