12 STORIES OF BIRDS AND BEASTS 



yet not too far to form a broad, flat surface, quite 

 stiff, but light and elastic. By beating the air with 

 the wings birds fly along. It is something like row- 

 ing a boat. This surface pushes against the air as 

 the flat blade of an oar pushes against the water. 

 That is why these large stiff feathers are called the 

 rowers. When the Wise Men talk Latin among them- 

 selves, they say remiges, for 'remiges' means rowers." 



" But, Doctor," said Rap, who was looking sharply 

 at the Sparrow's wing, " all the feathers are not like 

 that. Here are a lot of little ones, in rows on top 

 of the wing in front, and more like them underneath, 

 covering over the roots of the rowing feathers. Have 

 they any name ? " 



" Oh, yes ! Everything you can see about a bird 

 has its own name. Those small feathers are called 

 coverts, because they cover over the roots of the rowers. 

 Those on top are the upper coverts ; those underneath 

 are the under coverts, or lining of the wings. Now 

 notice those two pretty bands of color across the Spar- 

 row's wing. You see one band is formed by the tips 

 of the longest coverts, and the other band by the 

 tips of the next longest coverts. Those two rows of 

 feathers are the greater arid middle coverts, and all the 

 smallest feathers, next to the front edge of the wing, 

 are called lesser coverts. Now look at the tail, Rap, 

 and tell me what you can find." 



" Why, there is a bunch of long stiff feathers like 

 rowers, that slide over each other when you spread 

 the tail, and a lot of short feathers that hide the 

 roots of the long ones. Are they rowers and coverts 

 too ? " 



