378 MK. E. DEGEN ON ECUYSIS. 



Id agreement, then, witli the issue of flight-feathers on the hand-portion of the 

 wing, if the terminal feather in question were a primary, it follows that, like the 

 remainder, it should moult in turn, after the renewal of remex X. Such, however, 

 is not the case, as specimen No. 24 — the only one showing this stage — proves. On 

 the right wing of the latter this feather has been renewed, whilst remex X. is still the 

 old one, and its own major covert, recently shed, lying distad to it as previously 

 explained, is just emerging, showing the apex of the new growth, anticipatory of 

 the shedding of remex X. itself. This particular stage of moult is slightly in 

 arrear on the left-side wing of this specimen, the general conditions being otherwise 

 quite similar. Here, however, instead of this alleged primary being renewed already 

 (it proved to be the old one yet by accidentally dropping out upon being touched, which 

 is a sure sign of its impending renewal) before the covert belonging to primary X., the 

 old one was not yet shed. There is consequently a strong probability in favour of this 

 terminal feather being the major covert belonging to the ventral series (median 1) of the 

 suppressed remex XI. (remicle), by its moulting in advance of the remiges, a condition 

 which does apply to the ventral series, as we shall see further on when considering 

 their moult. 



Cubital Portion. — The conditions under which these major coverts issue differ so 

 widely from those previously dealt with that they are well deserving of more careful 

 consideration. 



Whilst there is the same unalterable mode of renewal retained for this series of 

 feathers on the manus throughout all subsequent periods of general moult by 

 repeating the first mode of acquisition, such is not the case for the major coverts of 

 the cubital portion. 



Here we are confronted by the occurrence of several transitory stages between birds 

 of the first season and those of subsequent ages. Broadly speaking, there are three 

 different stages conspicuous i, which may be further subdivided as follows : — 



Stage I. Condition of renewal for Bird of second season. 



(a) Growth of major coverts (0) 1-7 simultaneous (0 representing carpal covert). 



(b) Growth of coverts 8-10 consecutive in the order of these numerals forming 



Group 1. 



Following upon the mode of the renewal of the first season's bird or fledgling stage, 

 which consisted of the simultaneous growth of the whole series of these coverts from 

 1-10, the mode of the first perennial moult differs by coverts 8, 9, 10 constituting 

 themselves into a definite group. Specimen No. 4 represents this first stage in a 

 striking manner on both wings {cf. fig. 1, Table IV.). The major coverts S-10 are 

 diflferentiated from those of 1-7, which are all of uniform length in development, by 



^ This refers to renewal only, and does not include the initial stage of feathering of the fledgling. 



