Anatomy of the Kingfishers. 



99 



towards the elbow. In Dacelo gigantea (fig. 4) there is a 

 small carpal reraex and covert, represented to the right, and 

 attached by a small fold oi membrane to the first large cubital 

 qnill in the fashion which I de-cribed in the Pigeons (/). Then 

 follow four ordinary quills ; then the diastema, and thereafter 



Fisr. 4. 



Dacelo gigantea, diagram of cubital feathering, the wrist being to the 

 right, the elbow to the left. The quills are large, and dotted in the 

 figure ; the major coverts cross them ; the feathers of the diagonal 

 rows are represented as small circles. To the right is the small 

 carpal remex and carpal covert, x diastataxic gap. 



quills in even series. Each quill is at the base of a diagonal 

 roWj the major covert forming the feather in the row nearest 

 the quill. In the diastataxic group there is a similar row, 

 rather shorter, however, than the other rows. The four 

 species of Sauropatis (fig. 5) present a condition essentially 



Fig. 5. 



Savropatis, diagram of cubital feathering. Explanation as in figure 4. 



similar. The diagonal row in the diastataxic gap is relatively 

 rather longer. In Ceryle maxima (fig. 6, p. 109) and Ceryle 

 ulcyo7i there is a carpal covert and carpal remex as before. 

 There is a gap in the usual diastataxic position, and this, 

 although relatively smaller than in Dacelo and Sauropatis, is 



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