6 REPRODUCTION AND PLUMAGE. 



that part of the wing which corresponds to the wrist and elbow of man. They are very varia- 

 ble in number, shape, and size ; and although they are in some birds hardly distinguishable 

 from the primaries, are in others very prominent and conspicuous. 



Next to the secondaries come the "tertiaries," which take their root in that part of the 

 wing which corresponds to the elbow and shoulder. In some birds, such as the plovers, the 

 tertiaries are extremely long, giving a very peculiar character to the wing. In the crane they 

 are developed into long, drooping plumes ; but in most birds they are very much shorter than 

 the primaries, and are merged into the little feathers that cover the upper surface of the wing. 

 Upon the thumb is a little fan-like wing, quite distinct from the remainder of the feathers, 

 and distinguished by the name of "winglet." 



A second set of quill feathers is to be found upon the tail, where they assume different 

 shapes and dimensions according to the species of bird, its sex, age, and the nature of its flight. 

 As these feathers perform the office of a rudder in directing the flight of the bird as it passes 

 through the atmosphere, they are technically termed "rectrices," or directors. The insertion 

 of these quill feathers is concealed above and below by certain little feathers, named from their 

 position the upper and under tail coverts. Generally, these feathers are of very small dimen- 

 sions, but in some examples they obtain to considerable length, and are very imposing in their 

 appearance. The magnificent "train " of the peacock is composed, not of the tail quill feathers, 

 which are short, stiff, and used chiefly for the proper displayal of the train, but of the greatly 

 developed upper tail coverts ; and from the under tail coverts of the marabout stork are taken 

 those beautiful plumy ornaments that are so well known as articles of feminine decoration. 



Lastly, there are some feathers on either side of the head, which shield the orifice of the 

 ear from injury, and are therefore named the ear coverts ; and the patch of feathers upon the 

 shoulders is appropriately known by the name of "scapularies." 



This array of plumage is not obtained until the bird has attained to some amount of devel- 

 opment, and the shape and color of the feathers are so distinct from each other at the different 

 epochs of a bird's life, that in many instances an adult, a half -grown, and a juvenile specimen 

 have been taken for individuals of different species, and noted as such in systematic catalogues. 



When the young bird is first hatched its feathers are hardly worthy of the name, being 

 mostly restricted to a kind of soft down. In the course of a week or two the quill feathers 

 begin to make their appearance, like little yellow or black spikes projecting from the wings, 

 but it is not until after the lapse of some time that they attain sufficient strength to sustain 

 the bird in the air. In a few months after the young bird has gained its first plumage, it loses 

 the feathers with which it has only just been clothed, and by going through the process 

 technically termed " moulting," induces an entirely new plumage, which is often very different 

 from the former in its traits and general aspect. In many cases the bird spends three years of 

 life before it is clothed with the full glory of its adult garments, and during the first and 

 second years the two sexes are so similar as hardly to be distinguished from each other with- 

 out dissection. The moult takes place annually even in adult birds, and is highly needful as a 

 means of giving them a new set of plumes to replace those which have been worn out by the 

 service of a whole year's wear. 



A similar phenomenon is observable in the fur-clad mammalia, who shed the worn and 

 ragged hairs in the autumn, and obtain a new and warm coat in readiness for the colder 

 months. Even in the human race the same principle is observed ; but the change of hair is in 

 them so gradual that it is scarcely perceptible, except to those who watch its progress. 

 Indeed, a partial moult can be induced at any time upon a bird, and employed to restore a 

 broken or damaged feather, irrespective of the time of year. If the injured feather be drawn 

 from its socket an operation which is always attended with some pain and loss of blood it 

 will soon be replaced by another and a perfect feather, springing from the same socket. 



The rapidity of the process is really astonishing, and presents a curious analogy with the 

 phenomenon of the rapid formation of the stag's horns. A remarkable instance occurred 

 lately within my own observation, in the person of a long-tailed Australian parrakeet. The 

 bird contrived to get out of its cage, and in flying along a large room was chased by a man, 

 who made a successful grasp at its tail, but failed in securing the bird, which flew screaming 



