INTRODUCTION. 29 



21 ; long, broad, straight, and pointed, in many Pigeons. 

 In the Falcons, it is acuminate, the second quill being longest, 

 and the first little shorter ; and in the Swallows is still more 

 so, the first quill being longest, and the rest rapidly dimi- 

 nished in length, Fig. 22. In the Lark, Fig. 23, it is doubly 

 pointed, as it were, the inner secondaries being much elon- 

 gated. 



Fig. 21. 



Fig. 22. 



The Tail may be extremely short, short, moderate, long, 

 extremely long, and of all intermediate gradations ; even at 

 the end, Fig. 24 ; rounded, graduated, or wedge-shaped, 

 Fig. 25 ; tapering, pointed, emarginate, Fig. 26 ; or forked, 

 Fig. 27. The number of its quills varies from eight to 



