100 



GENERAL ORNITHOLOGY. 



Notaeum. — Beginning where neck ends, and ending where tail-coverts begin (see fig. 25, 

 12), this part of a bird is subdivided into hack (Lat. dorsum; fig. 25, 11) and rump (Lat. uro- 

 pygium; fig. 25, 13). These are in direct continuation of each other, and their limits are not 

 precisely defined ; feathers of both grow on the pterijla dorsalis. In general, we should call 

 the anterior two-thirds or three-fourths of noteeum "back," and the rest "rump." With the 

 foi'mer are generally included the scapular or shoulder-feathers, scapulars or scapularies ; these 

 are they that grow on the pterylce humerales. The region of notaeum they represent is called 

 scapulare (Lat. scapula, shoulder-blade), and that part of notfeum strictly between them is 

 called interscapulare (fig. 25, 10); it is often marked, as in the Chipping Sparrow, with streaks 

 or some other distinctive coloration. A part of dorsum, lying between interscapulare and 

 uropygium, is sometimes recognized as " lower back " (Lat. tergum) ; but this distinction is not 

 practically useful. To uropygium probably also belong feathers of the pterylce femorales, or at 



Fio. 25. — Topography of a Bird. 1, forehead {/rons). 2, lore (loruni). 3, circumocular region. 4, crown {vertex). 

 5, eye. 6, hind liead {occiput). 7, nape {nucha). 8, hind neck {cervix). 9, side of neck. 10, interscapular region. 

 11, back proper {dorsum), including 10. 12, notccum, or upper part of body proper, including 10, 11, and 13. 13, rump 

 {uropygium). 14, upper tail-coverts {iectrices superiores). 15, tail {c(iuda). HI, under tail-coverts {cris.'!uni or tectrices 

 inferiores). 17, tarsus. 18, abdomen. 19, hind toe (ArtZ/uj-). 20, ^osiraPHW, including 18 and 24. 21, outer or fourth 

 toe. 22, middle or third toe. 23, side of body. 24, breast {pectus). 25, primaries. 26, secondaries. 27, so-called ter- 

 tiaries ; nos. 25, 26, 27 are flight-feathers or remiges. 28, primary coverts. 29, ahda, or bastard wing. 30, greater 

 coverts {tectrices majores). 31, median coverts (tectrices mediance). 32, lesser coverts {tectrifes minores). 33, " throat," 

 including 34, 37, 38. 34, jngulum, or lower throat. 35, malar region. 36, auriculars. 37, guln, or middle throat. 

 38. mentum, or chin. 39, angle of commissure, or comer of mouth. 40, ramus of under mandible. 41, side of under 

 mandible. 42, gonys. 43, apex, or tip of bill. 44, tumia, or cutting edges of bill. 45, cuUnen, or ridge of upper mandi- 

 ble, corresponding to gonys. 46, side of upper mandible. 47, nostril {naris). 48 passes across bill a little in front of 

 its base. 



any rate these are commonly included with rump in descriptions ; but they more properly repre- 

 sent flanks (Lat. ilia, or hypochondria) — that is, sides of rump. They are sometimes the seat 

 of largely developed or otherwise peculiarly modified feathers, as the snowy flank-plumes of the 

 White-bellied Swift (Aiironaides saxatilis) or Violet-green Swallow {Tachycineta thalassina). 



