10 INTRODUCTION. 



the wings ; a moderate tail is about equal to the 

 length of the body; and all longer than this are 

 called long tails. 



A Perfect tail consists of twelve feathers ; but in 

 some Gallinaceous birds the number amounts to 

 eighteen ; while in a very few species there are 

 only eight. 



The root or base of the tail-feathers is protected 

 both above and below by others^ which are termed 

 the upper and under tail- coverts. 



In speaking of the various forms of the tail^ it 

 will be necessary in the following pages to make use 

 of terms, such as even, rounded, J an -shaped, gradu- 

 ated, cuneated, arcuated, spatidate, slender, forked, 

 &c. : these we will briefly explain. 



An Even Tail implies that the feathers when ex- 

 panded are all of the same length. 



A Rounded Tail has the outermost feathers pro- 

 gressively shorter than those in the middle. 



A Fan- SHAPED Tail, as its name indicates, is so 

 much rounded, that the two middle feathers are the 

 longest, all the others gradually diminishing in 

 length. 



GrRADUATED Tails not Only exhibit a greater degree 

 of circularity than those which are simply rounded, 

 but they possess this peculiarity, that the external 

 feathers, instead of being very slightly shorter than 

 those in the middle, are abruptly abbreviated, so as 

 to resemble the steps in a flight of stairs. 



A CuNEATED or Wedge-shaped Tail has each fea- 

 ther gradually narrowed from the middle, and ter- 

 minating in a point. 



Arcuated or Arched Tails somewhat resemble 

 the last ; but the feathers, instead of being straight, 

 are gently arched ; and those in the ■ middle are so 

 convex, that they lap over, as if to protect the 

 others. The common Pheasant exhibits this form 

 in perfection. 



Spatulate or Racket-shaped Tails. — The pecu- 

 liaritv of this tail is that the middle feathers have 



