Jeffries on the Primaries of Birds. 15Q 



the primary coverts, and above these yet another row. Besides 

 these there is a double row of feathers running down the anterior 

 edge of the wing to the tip. distinguished from the rest by their 

 smaller size and position on the opposite side of the ringer bones. 

 The thumb also- has a special set of papillae, which develop into 

 the spurious wing feathers. Passing to the fore-arm we first 

 come to the secondaries, in this case nine in number. Above 

 these we find another row of papillae, the secondary coverts, 

 placed between the bases of the secondaries. These papillae are 

 not nine in number, but eleven, the first one being placed above 

 the tenth primary and the eleventh behind, or proximal to the 

 last secondary. This first secondary covert later grows into close 

 relations with the last primary and has been mistaken for a pri- 

 mary covert. From this arise the statements that there are as 

 many primary coverts as primaries. That this feather is really 

 not a primary covert is apparent in very young birds. Above the 

 secondary coverts there is yet a third row of eight. Besides 

 these, if we look carefully, we find two or more little papillae 

 placed between the tenth primary and first secondary and the first 

 and second secondaries. When the wing feathers have broken 

 out of their sheaths main more little feathers are developed 

 along the edge of the fore-arm. These little feathers can. 

 for the most, be referred to two rows, one between and alternating 

 with the secondaries and the other between the secondaries and 

 their coverts. Besides these, other little feathers appear at 

 the carpal region, between the primaries and secondaries ; these I 

 cannot correllate. though they are quite constant both in position 

 and number. 



If we now take a young Sparrow in its first plumage and count 

 forwards and backwards from the carpal joint we find exactlv 

 the same number of feathers as papilla? in the nestling. Only the 

 second " little feather" must be counted as the first primary and 

 the first little feather as the covert, not of the first primary but of 

 the second. The first has no covert. In the wing of a young Song 

 Sparrow (Meiospiza melodid) now before me the " second little 

 feather" is clearly in line with the other primaries and the first little 

 feather, larger than the second is placed above and between the 

 second little feather and first primary of systematic writers: that 

 is to say. between the first and second primaries. In the adult 

 Song .Sparrow we find exactlv the same conditions save that the two 



