502 



On the Affinities of Smithornis. 



outermost, or tenth one of this series, at the tip of the 

 wing, which in all other birds that I have examined is the 

 shortest^ I have found in Smithornis to be the longest of all. 

 The others grow gradually shorter from the carpal joint to 

 the tip of the wing, as this row of coverts does in all birds ; 



Text-fiff. 8. 





A ' B 



A. Upper surface of manus of left wing of Smithornis rvfolateralis 



(long outer or lOth major covert marked witli an asterisk). 



B, Right foot of Smithornis cmnarunensis, to show podotLeca. 



but when the tenth and last one is reached^ it is found to 

 be not only longer than those next to it, but even longer 

 than the one next the carpal joint. The measured lengths 

 of these feathers in one wing of a Smithornis camarunensis 

 is here given as typical of a number of wings examined from 

 all the three species : — 



First major upper covert on the manus 16 mm. 



Ninth „ „ „ „ ,, 10 ,, 



leuth ,, ,, ,, „ ,, 1/ ^, 



This tenth major upper covert on the manus is, I think, 

 to be regarded as the covert of the tenth remex, and not of 

 the remicle, these coverts being situated each on the distal 

 side of its remex. 



