191 8.] Under Wing -Coverts of Birds. 54-7 



of the remiges aud under coverts on the middle portion of 

 the wing indicated by a diagram, here reproduced : — 



Diagram of the feather-arrangement of the underside of the 

 wing of Limnocorax niger. 

 i-iii. Primary remiges ; i'-iv'. Secondary remiges. 

 l*-3*. Manual major u.w.c. ; l*"-?"". Cubital major u.w.c. 

 l'-2^ Manual median u.w.c. ; l''-5''. Cubital median u.w.c. 

 a. Carpal median u.w.c. 



Note. — This diagram will serve also to illustrate the position of the 

 median under covert at the carpal joint and the one on the manus, so 

 often referred to in these notes. If it be taken as the rule that the 

 median covert on the distal side of the 1st major covert and directly in 

 front of the 1st remex is the 1st median covert, then this one at the 

 carpal joint is the ist on the cubitus, and there is only one on the 

 manus ; but if the median covert on the proximal side of the 1st major 

 covert be considered the 1st, then the one at the joint belongs to the 

 manus, aud there are two on the manus. 



Sarothrura sp. No. 5639. 



Major under coverts a complete row with probably ten on 

 the manus (the number of manual remiges is noted as ten 

 only) ; overlap contrary. 



Median under coverts present on the cubitus, with one on 

 the manus, or at the joint ; overlap contrary. The median 

 coverts are inserted very close to the major, so that the two 

 rows are a little hard to separate ; but the median coverts 

 are much shorter than the others. 



A remarkable fact al)out the two rows of reversed under 

 coverts of this bird is that, though the wing is diastataxic as 

 regards the upper coverts, with an extra one between the 

 4th and 5th cubital remiges, it is eutaxic as regards these 

 under coverts, since they correspond exactly to the remiges — 

 the major series as well as the median. 



3r3 



