TOPOGRAPHY OF A BIRD. 13 



For convenience 'of description the exterior of a bird 

 is divided into various parts which have received defi- 

 nite names, and the modifications of these parts are de- 

 scribed in certain technical terms, which it is necessary 

 for the student to learn. The " topography " of a bird 

 is illustrated in the. accompanying figure (Fig. i), in 

 which the principal parts are defined and named. 



/ x v 



18 17 16 



FIG. 1. TOPOGRAPHY OF A BIRD, i, forehead (froni). 2, lore. 3, circumocular region. 

 4, crown (vertex}. 5, eye. 6, hind head (occiput"). 7, nape (nucha). 8, hind neck (cer- 

 vix}. 9, side of neck. 10, interscapular region, n, dorsum, or back proper, including 

 10. 12, not&um. or upper part of body proper, including 10, n, 13. 13, rump (uro- 

 Pygiunt). 14, upper tail-coverts. 15, tail. 16, under tail-coverts. 17, tarsus. 18, abdo- 

 men. 19. hind toe (hallux}. 20, gastreeum, including 18 and 24. 21, outer or fourth 

 toe. 22, middle or third toe. 23, side of the body. 24, breast (pectus). 25, prima- 

 ries. 26, secondaries. 27, tertiaries ; Nos. 25, 26, 27, are all remiges. 28> primary 

 coverts. 29, alula, or bastard wing. 30, greater coverts. 31, median coverts, 32, lesser 

 coverts. 33, the '' throat," including 34, 37, 38. 34, jtigiilum, or lower throat. 35, aur- 

 iculars. 36, malar region. 37, gula, or middle throat. 38, inentum, or chin. 39, angle 

 of commissure, or corner of mouth. 40, ramns of under mandible. 41, side of under 

 mandible. 42, gonys. 43, apex, or tip of bill. 44, tomia, or cutting edges of the bill. 

 45, ciilnten, or ridge of upper mandible, corresponding to gonys. 46^ side of upper 

 mandible. 47, nostril. 48 passes across the bill a little in front of its base. 



Referring to this figure for a general notion of the 

 parts of a bird, we may take up some of those charac- 



