INTRODUCTION. 



Acciiminate and ahrupt. Fig. 26, a. 

 Emarglnate^ having a notch at the end. 



Fig. 27. 



h- 



Fig. 24. 



tf^i 



Fig. 20, a. 



Fig. 2G, h. 



Fig. 27. 



The proportional size of the quills on the cubitus and hand, 

 together with their form, gives rise to several important distinc- 

 tions, which, being characteristic of the different families and 

 orders, will be pointed out in the body of the work. A few 

 circumstances however may be here mentioned as relating to 

 the wings. 



The breadth of the wing depends chiefly upon the length of 

 the cubital quills ; its length principally upon that of the digi- 

 tal. Considered as a whole, the wing may be very long, while 

 its bones are very short, as in Swallows, Fig. 29, and Hum- 

 ming-birds, in which the cubitus in particular is extremely 

 diminutive. In some birds, as Gulls and Eagles, the humerus 

 and cubitus are very long ; in others, as partridges, very short ; 

 and the same remark may be made as to the digital quills. 



The wing is short, 

 broad, convex, and 

 rounded, in Grouse, 

 Partridges, and other 

 Rasores, Fig. 28 ; 

 long, broad, straight, 

 and pointed in most 

 Pigeons. In the Pe- 

 regrine Falcon, it is 

 acuminate, the second 

 quill being longest, 

 ^ and the first little 

 shorter ; and in the 

 Swallows is still more 

 so, the first quill being 

 longest, and the rest rapidly diminished in length, Fig. 29. 

 Between these long, pointed wings, and the short, rounded ones 



Fig. 28. Wing of Grouse. 



Fig. 29. JFing of Swallow. 



