1887. | NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. tee 
Wyman; and 3, interlocking of the primaries, as claimed by 
Prof. Trowbridge. 
Abstract of the Discussion. 
Mr. CHITTENDEN thought that no single or uniform Jaw 
would be found to cover all the problems involved in the flights 
of different birds. 
Mr. D. G, ELviot spoke in opposition to the interlocking of 
the primary feathers. He claimed that if the imbrication of the 
vanes of the primaries were ever reversed, it is by accident, and 
that it would be a source of weakness; that there were no mus- 
cles or provision for moving or rotating the quills so as to pro- 
duce the interlocking at will; and that the notching or emargi- 
nation was lacking in some soaring birds, and present in many 
families which did not soar; and also that the notched primaries 
were apart in the buzzard when soaring ; and that to an orni- 
thologist the theory was absurd. 
Pror. TROWBRIDGE, in reply, stated that he had found in a 
recently killed bird a tendon which opened or spread the outer 
primaries, and had observed such a rotation of the extremity of 
the wing at the wrist as caused the primaries to assume an 
oblique position, and to drop naturally into the locked state 
under certain conditions. 
Mr. Exxiot thought the extension and rigidity of the wings 
of birds after death was rigor mortis. 
PRESIDENT NEWBERRY said that the occurrence of the rigidity 
of birds’ wings after being killed must be accepted as a fact. 
That it was not consonant with physiological laws to have only 
one set of muscles rigid in rigor mortis, and the rigidity was 
more likely a matter of will. That in shooting large game it 
always happened that the animal fell ina heap. The legs did 
not stiffen and keep the creature standing. 
Pror. J. A. ALLEN thought that a mistake had been made in 
regard to the interlocking of the primaries. ‘The inversion of 
the primaries would defeat the purpose of the peculiar construc- 
tion of the feathers and wing. He believed that the position of 
