36 SECONDARIES AND TERTIARIES—THE TAIL. 
spurious first primary only occurs in certain ten-primaried Oscines. It is 
evident, therefore, that the finding of this short primary is equivalent to 
determining the presence of ten primaries; but, on the other hand, not 
finding it does not prove nine primaries; the count must be made in all 
cases where the first primary is more than one-third as long as the second. 
§ 63. Tur Seconpartss (PI. 1, fig. 1, s) are those remiges that are seated 
on the forearm (fig. 6, Bc) ; they vary in number from six upward, the pre- 
cise greatest number probably not ascertained, unless it be the forty of the 
albatross. They have the peculiarity of being actually attached to one-of 
the bones of the forearm (u/na) which the other remiges are not. If you 
examine an ulna, you will see a row of little points showing the attachment. 
The secondaries present no special features necessary to describe in the pres- 
ent connection. They are enormously developed in the argus pheasant. 
§ 64. (a.) Tae Trrtiarres (PI. 1, fig. 1, ¢) are, properly, the remiges 
that grow upon the upper arm (humerus) ; but they are not evident in most 
birds, and the two or three innermost secondaries, that grow upon the very 
elbow, and are commonly different from the rest, in form or color, or both, 
pass under the name of tertiaries. So also some of the scapular feathers 
(§ 38, and Pl. 1, fig. 1, sep), when long or otherwise conspicuous, are called 
tertiaries. But there is an evident and proper distinction. Scapulars are 
feathers of the pleryla humeralis (§ 9, 6); while tertiaries, whether seated 
on the elbow or higher up, are the innermost remiges of the péeryla alaris 
(§ 9, 6). They are oftener called “tertials,” for short, though the other 
name is more correct, besides being formed in analogy with the names of 
the other remiges. Tertiaries do not often afford conspicuous or important 
characters; but in many birds they are very long and flowing. This is 
particularly the case in most sharp-winged wading birds; and, in fact, is 
mainly confined to birds with such a wing. 
(b.) Occasionally, any of the wing feathers take on remarkable special 
developments, and such is particularly the case with the tertials and second- 
ary upper coverts ; but it would be superfluous to particularize these here. 
The wing rarely produces anything but feathers ; sometimes, however, offen- 
sive weapons are found, as in the horny spur-like process of the pinion of 
the spur-winged thrush, Zurdus dactylopterus, the spur-winged goose 
(Plectropterus), spur-winged pigeon (Didunculus), several plovers (Chet- 
tusia, etc.), the jacanas (Parra), etc., and the one or two claws of the 
ostriches and their allies, as well as of the extinct Archcopteryx. But we 
have no illustration of these outgrowths among North American birds. 
THe Tatu. 
§ 65. Time was when birds flew about with long bony and fleshy tails, 
with the feathers inserted in a row on either side (distichous) like the hairs 
of a squirrel’s. But we have changed all that. Now the bones are few 
generally about nine in number), and short, not projecting beyond the gen- 
| 
: 
: 
