400 C. J. Sundevall on the Wings of Birds. 



all the other feathers by their size and stiffness. They are 

 seated in the skin along the whole posterior margin of the 

 cubitus and hand, but no trne quill-feathers occur upon the 

 humerus. They belong definitely to the upper (outer) sur- 

 face of the wing, for they always lie with their basal ends 

 outside of the bones and muscles. They are always destitute 

 of accessory plumes. 



1. Remiges primores^ (" lash-feathers/' figs. 3, 4/7, 8,/), 

 which arc seated upon the hand, constitute the most important 

 part of the organ of flight, and exceed all others in size, firm- 

 ness, the size of the quill-tube, and the shortness and elasticity 

 of the vane. They lie, with the quill-tubes in an oblique 

 direction, strongly attached upon nearly the whole breadth of 

 the wing-bones, and have, in consequence, a very inconsider- 

 able amount of mobility. In number they are usually 10, so 

 that the first is seated upon the outermost (second) finger- 

 joint, attached along its posterior (ulnar) side, less distinctly 

 outwards than the following ones. The second, third, and 

 fourth are placed upon the first finger-joint, and the six fol- 

 lowing upon the metacarpus (compare fig. 1). The last of 

 them is somewhat longer than the first feather of the arm 

 {Parus caudatus constitutes the only exception known to me). 



The number of these feathers varies but little ; only between 

 9 and 11. There are 9 of them only in some Song-birds, 

 and this because the first feather disappears (of which more 

 hereaftei') ; and 11 in the genera Podiceps (all the Swedish 

 species, also P. dominicensis and philippensis), Phoenicopterus, 

 Anastomus, Tantalus, Ciconia (according to Nitzsch also C. 

 mycteria, but not Car gala), Musophaga, and Corgthaix, but 

 not in Schizorhis, Wagl.f 



They vary still more in size, proportions, and form, for 



* I employ this name, adopted by Liime, iu default of a better one, as 

 expressing their position ; for the terms B. mcinus, or dif/iil, or diyitales are 

 not very applicable, and vianuales is unsuitable. See also the note on tlie 

 li. cuhitaJes further on. 



t In the Diving Ducks {A. glarialis, Sec.) there is a very small third 

 linger-joint, which has a rudimentary first quill-fealher, with its small 

 covert-featlipv. So also in T^ria troUe iu\(\ nJk\h\\{ wA m f\ (/rtjllc or 

 AIca tonhi. 



