showed beyond any doubt tlifit the major coverts, intersituated 

 between the closely set quills, are placed distalhj to the re- 

 miges to which they belong. They are, in fact, enclosed by 

 the same identical membrane, which serves as a common fold 

 for each set (remex and major coverts). 



The correctness of my contention as to the distal position 

 of each major covert on the metacarpal remiges is confirmed 

 by the moulting feathers of the female Sparrow-Hawk pre- 

 viously mentioned. Tliere, as the figures (figs. 2 & 3, pp. xii 

 & xiii) clearly show^ the first, second, and third metacarpal 

 remiges, together witli tlieir respective coverts, are in a gradu- 

 ated state of development. The vane of the first i? in a semi- 

 developed condition, and has its covert issuing from the same 

 pocket or fold in the ala membrana, and reaching about half- 

 way down the remex. In the second quill the major covert 

 is comparatively longer, as it reaches to the same point, 

 namely, the end of the horny envelope, though the quill 

 itself is not so developed, as in the first remex, But in the 

 tliird remex both the quill and its covert are scarcely deve- 

 loped, and are not only clearly enclosed in the same envelope, 

 but the distal position of the covert is beyond doubt. 



As regards the relation of the cubital remiges and their 

 major coverts, my observations confirm the positions assigned 

 to them in ]Mr. Wray's plate ; but I must remark that in 

 a young Sparrow I found the first cubital major covert 

 not placed proximately- to its remex, but situated longitu- 

 dinally in the centre of the dorsum of the shaft of the remex, 

 while all the following ones were distinctly inserted at the 

 proximal side of the base of the quills. The major coverts 

 of the metacarpals in the same stage of growth are placed 

 distallyto their respective remiges ; and it would thus appear 

 that the wrist-jaint becomes the centrifugal point from which 

 the coverts place themselves left and right, distally or proxi- 

 mally, as the portion of the wing is either metacarpo-digital 

 or cubital (see fig. 6). 



To return once more to our disputed " covert,''^ I timst 

 that it is now plain that from the variation in its position it 

 can never be considered a metacarpal covert, and I propose 



VOL. II. B 



