PREFACE. T 



wing, are called the first or great quills, (in 

 the Linnaean phrase remiges primores, as being 

 the chief oars or guiders as it were.) The 

 feathers constituting the middle part of the 

 wing are called the secondaries or second 

 quills, (remiges secundarii of Linnaeus,) and 

 are more numerous than the first : the feathers 

 descending along each side of the back are 

 called the scapular feathers: the small feathers 

 covering the shoulders are called the smaller 

 wing-coverts, (tectrices minor es :) the next series 

 to these are called the larger wing-coverts, 

 {tectrices secundaria or majores,) and at the 

 edge of the shoulder are a few rather strong 

 and slightly lengthened feathers, constituting 

 what is called the false or spurious wing; the 

 alula or alulet of some ornithologists. The y a// ^^^ 

 tail, in most birds, consists of twelve feathers; .tf~^</ 

 in some of ten only ; and in some others of 

 eighteen, twenty, or twenty-four. Sometimes 

 on each side the tail, or above it, at the lower 

 part of the back, are placed several very long 

 feathers of a different structure from the rest : 

 these have been called the hypochondrial and 

 uropygial feathers. The above are the princi- 

 pal distributions of the feathers on a bird. 



