8 HOW TO MEASURE A BIRD. 



Wing. Distance from carpal joint C (bend of wing) to the tip of the longest pri- 

 mary D. See cut on page 7. 



Length. Distance in a straight line from the end of the bill to the tip of the longest 

 tail feather. (Occasionally the middle feathers are much elongated, as 

 in the Old Squaw and Pintail Duck, and in other families of birds, such 

 as Pha?thon and Stercorarius. In such cases it is well to give the length 

 from bill to longest tail feather, and also to end of outer tail feather.) 



Tail, Distance from the tip of the longest tail feather to its base (the point where it 

 enters the body). 



Bill. The distance in a straight line from where the bill (upper mandible) joins the 

 skin of the forehead (A) to the tip (B). (There are a few exceptions to 

 this rule, such as birds with frontal plate, etc. Some curved bills are 

 measured along the curve of the culmen, and at times it is advisable 

 to measure from the nostril to the tip of the bill, but in such cases it 

 should always be so stated.) 



Tarsus. Distance \i\front of the leg from what appears to be the knee joint (end of 

 tibia) to the root of the middle toe. All measurements are given in inches 

 and fractions of an inch. 



