6 NAMES OF THE FEATHERS. 



by their slightly different shape and manner of lying. The under surface of the wing is 

 clothed with a dense layer of small feathers termed the " under coverts." 



Now let all the upper coverts be removed, and the quill feathers will be visible from 

 their insertion to their extremity. On spreading out the wing it will be seen that ten of 

 these feathers spring from that portion of the wing bone which corresponds to the hand 

 and fingers of man. As these feathers come first in point of order, beginning at the 

 extremity of the wing, they are termed the "primaries," and indicate, by their shape and 

 development, the mode of flight followed by the bird. If, for instance, they are 

 comparatively short, rounded, and concave, as is the case with our example, the sparrow, 

 the flight is slow and laborious, accompanied with much beating of the wing and dipping 

 in the air between each stroke. If they are long, firm, and flat, as seen in the eagles, 

 vultures, and other similar birds, the flight is easy and graceful, though capable of exceeding 

 swiftness when needful. If they are large, concave, and edged with soft fringes, the flight 

 is quiet and noiseless, as is seen in the owls. Some birds, such as the ostrich, the 

 cassowary, and other running birds, possess short and pointed primaries, which can hardly 

 be recognised as belonging to so large a bird, and the flight is in consequence reduced 

 to zero. 



Next to the primaries come a second set of quills, called for that reason " secondaries." 

 They are often undistinguishable externally from the primaries, into which they imper- 

 ceptibly merge, but may be at once detected by following them to their roots, which are 

 inserted upon that part of the wing which corresponds to the wrist and elbow of man. 

 They are very variable in number, shape, and size ; and although they are in some birds 

 hardly distinguishable from the primaries, are in others very prominent and conspicuous. 



Next to the secondaries come the " tertiaries," which take their root in that part of the 

 wing which corresponds to the elbow and shoulder. In some birds, such as the plovers, 

 the tertiaries are extremely long, giving a very peculiar character to the wing. In the 

 crane they are developed into long, drooping plumes ; but in most birds they are very 

 much shorter than the primaries, and are merged into the little feathers that cover the 

 upper surface of the wing. Upon the thumb is a little fan-like wing, quite distinct from 

 the remainder of the feathers, and distinguished by the name of " winglet." 



A second set of quill feathers is to be found upon the tail, where they assume different 

 shapes and dimensions according to the species of bird, its sex, age, and the nature of its 

 flight. As these feathers perform the office of a rudder in directing the flight of the bird 

 as it passes through the atmosphere, they are technically termed " rectrices," or directors. 

 The insertion of these quill feathers is concealed above and below by certain little feathers, 

 named from their position the upper and under tail coverts. Generally, these feathers are 

 of very small dimensions, but in some examples they attain to considerable length, and 

 are very imposing in their appearance. The magnificent " train " of the peacock is 

 composed, not of the tail quill feathers, which are short, stiff, and used chiefly for the 

 proper displayal of the train, but of the greatly developed upper tail coverts ; and from 

 the under tail coverts of the marabout stork are taken those beautiful plumy ornaments 

 that are so well known as articles of feminine decoration. 



Lastly, there are some feathers on either side of the head, which shield the orifice of 

 the ear from injury, and are therefore named the ear coverts; and the patch of feathers 

 upon the shoulders is appropriately known by the name of " scapularies." In the 

 accompanying sketch of the swallow-tailed falcon, the position of the principal groups of 

 feathers is indicated. A denotes the primaries, or first quill-feathers of the wing ; B, the 

 tertiaries; C, D, E, the lesser and greater coverts; F, the scapularies; G, the rectaries ; 

 H, the upper tail coverts ; I, the ear coverts. 



This array of plumage is not obtained until the bird has attained to some amount of 

 development, and the shape and colour of the feathers are so distinct from each other at 

 the different epochs of a bird's life, that in many instances an adult, a half-grown, and a 

 juvenile specimen have been taken for individuals of different species, and noted as such 

 in systematic catalogues. 



When the young bird is first hatched its feathers are hardly worthy of the name, being 

 mostly restricted to a kind of soft down. In the course of a week or two the quill feathers 



