NAMES OF THE FEATHERS. 5 



hollow throughout their centres, so as to combine great strength with the least possible weight. 

 These hollow bones communicate with the legs thrcmgh certain curious appendages called air- 

 sacs, which open into the lungs, and apparently serve as reservoirs of respirable atmosphere, 

 so that the bird is able to force the hot and rarefied air from its lungs into its bones. In some 

 very rare instances even the bones of the feet and toes are hollow, and penetrable with air as 

 far as the insertion of the claws. Some birds, however, especially those of small dimensions, 

 do not possess these hollow bones, and in all cases the cavity is not developed until the creature 

 has attained to maturity. In the apteryx, a non-flying bird, the only hollow bone is that of 

 the lower jaw. So complete is the communication with the lungs through the bones of some 

 birds, that if the bone should be broken they are enabled to breathe through the open extremity, 

 even though the throat be compressed, or the head plunged under water. 



THIS slight sketch of the skeleton is necessary as a prelude to the description of the 

 FEATHEKS, because several of the most important of these appendages derive their names from 

 the portion of the structure on which they are set. 



On a general view of a bird it will be seen that the feathers fall naturally into two orders, 

 namely, those of progression and those of covering. But as in the description of a bird, 

 especially of one that is unknown to science, and of which no figure is extant, it is needful to 

 describe the form and color of the different portions of the creature with great accuracy, this 

 sweeping division of the feathers into two sets will be quite insufficient for the purpose. On 

 a closer examination, however, it will be seen that the feathers possess a kind of natural 

 arrangement, which, with a few unimportant and obvious additions, is amply sufficient for 

 actual scientific purposes. The best mode of learning the name of the different parts of the 

 plumage is to procure any bird, say a sparrow or pigeon, which may easily be obtained, and 

 to investigate the formation and arrangement of the feathers from actual inspection. It is an 

 interesting little study, and will save much time, as a lesson once so learned will never again 

 be forgotten. We will suppose a dead sparrow to be laid on the table. 



Let one of its wings be spread upon the table, and its plumage will be seen to consist of 

 a row of long, flat, and stiff quill feathers, whose insertion is covered by a great number 

 of smaller and softer feathers. The quill feathers are technically termed "principals," and 

 the others are called from their office, "coverts." Before examining the principals, it needs 

 that the coverts be first attacked, becaiise they must be removed before the quill feathers can 

 be properly traced to their sources. Along the upper surface of the wing run two or three 

 rows of these short feathers, which are termed the " greater coverts," and below these a single 

 row of "lesser coverts," the latter of which maybe distinguished by their slightly different 

 shape and manner of lying. The under surface of the wing is clothed with a dense layer of 

 small feathers termed the "under coverts." 



Now let all the upper coverts be removed, and the quill feathers will be visible from their 

 insertion to their extremity. On spreading out the wing it will be seen that ten of these 

 feathers spring from that portion of the wing bone which corresponds to the hand and fingers 

 of man. As these feathers come first in point of order, beginning at the extremity of the 

 wing, they are termed the "primaries," and indicate by their shape and development, the 

 mode of flight followed by the bird. If, for instance, they are comparatively short, rounded, 

 and concave, as is the case with our example, the sparrow, the flight is slow and laborious, 

 accompanied with much beating of the wing and dipping in the air between each stroke. If 

 they are long, firm, and flat, as seen in the eagles, vultures, and other similar birds, the flight 

 is easy and graceful, though capable of exceeding swiftness when needful. If they are large, 

 concave, and edged with soft fringes, the flight is quiet and noiseless, as is seen in the owls. 

 Some birds, such as the ostrich, the cassowary, and other running birds, possess short and 

 pointed primaries, which can hardly be recognized as belonging to so large a bird, and the 

 flight is in consequence reduced to zero. 



Next to the primaries come a second set of quills, called for that reason "secondaries." 

 They are often undistinguishable externally from the primaries, into which they imperceptibly 

 merge, but may be at once detected by following them to their roots, which are inserted upon 



