96 A COURSE ON ZOOLOGY. 



remiges. The hand always has ten, called primary remi- 

 ges. The forearm has between fifteen and twenty, called 

 secondary remiges. Smaller quill-feathers are attached 

 to the humerus, and are named scapularies ; others to 

 the thumb, and these are the bastards. The coverts of 

 the wings are the feathers that cover and shield the 

 bases or quills of the quill-feathers. The large feathers 

 that form the tail, and which are attached to the coccyx, 

 are generally twelve in number, but sometimes there are 

 more. They serve as a sort of rudder during -flight, and 

 are called tail-feathers. 



The superficial examination of a fowl shows us also 



FIG. 50. 



WING OF PIGEON, showing primary (a) and secondary (6) feathers, and " bas- 

 tard wing" (c) at thumb. 



that its head has a peculiar form, its face terminating in 

 a horny beak. 



In the interior of the body, however, we observe that, 

 contrary to what we have noticed in the dog, the tho- 

 racic and abdominal cavities are not separated by a com- 



