246 Fisher, Specialized Use of the Bastard Wing. Flul'' 



44. ^gialitis vocifera (Li>iii.). Killdeer Plover. — A rare migrant, 

 seldom more than one seen. 



45. iEgialitis semipalmata {Bo nap.) . Ring-neck Plover. — This 

 pretty little bird arrives in August and September ; it frequents the sand- 

 beach in flocks of three to six, and runs along at considerable speed, 

 uttering its plaintive call note. 



46. Arenaria interpres {Linn.). Turnstone. — Numbers arrive at 

 the migration season ; they frequent the seashore, and may be found 

 amongst the debris cast up by the sea. A few remain all the year. I have 

 seen them on the sands of Dumfries and Belvue South at all seasons, and 

 also on the mud flats at Grand Anse. I observed one at the lagoon 

 perched on the mangrove roots eating small oysters. 



( To be concluded.) 



NOTES ON THE SPECIALIZED USE OF THE 

 BASTARD WING. 



BY WM. HUBBELL FISHER. 



Fiate VIII. 



In a book entitled ' The Structure and Life of Birds,' by F. M. 

 Headley, M. A., F. Z, S., published by Macmillan «& Co., 

 London and New York, 1895, the author states that he saw a 

 pigeon " when checking his speed in air, lift the bastard wing so 

 that daylight was visible between it and the long feathers, this 

 petty appendage jutting out and impudently spoiling the beautiful 

 Hne of the front margin of the Aving from tip to tip." He further 

 says that "this curious iDhenomenon may be seen if you stand at 

 the British Museum (the Antiquarian Department at Bloomsbury) , 

 as the pigeons which are usually feeding in large numbers in the 

 front fly up and settle overhead on the pediment." He adds that 

 "in Muybridge's photographs of the Cockatoo, on the wing, both 

 bastard wings may be seen to be slightly raised, for what purpose 

 it is hard to say. In the pigeon, they project during a vigorous 

 stroke, but I have seen no other bird use them either for stopping 

 or striking." On page 254 of his work, figure 65, Mr. Headley 



