On Characters hi Birds' Wings. 319


CHARACTERS IN BIRDS’ WINGS.


By Dr. A. Q. Butler.


My attention has again been called to this important point

by my fiiend Mi. F. W. Frohawk’s interesting article on the

sexual chaiacteis of the Lapwing Ibis,’ Vol. IV., pp. 446-451).

As is well known to many of our Members, I have written

articles on the sexual differences exhibited in the wings of birds

both in ‘ 1 he Zoologist ’ and in our Magazine.


As I have already suggested, every Museum should make

a collection of the expanded wings of all birds, in addition to the

collection of skins ; not only to enable the systematic Ornitho¬

logist to see, at a glance, all sexual characters, and all important

generic differences which an open wing brings to light ; but to

enable him to describe his birds correctly.


A short time since, I lost a fine example of the Brambling

(Fringilla montifrhigilla $~) ; and, as I did not require the skin, I

cut off and mounted the wings. On comparing these with the

description of the Brambling in the Museum ‘ Catalogue of

Birds,’ I at once noticed inaccuracies, which perhaps could

hardly be avoided by anyone describing from skins alone, but

which could not have crept into any description if open wings

had been available for comparison.


I should describe the wing as follows :—Scapularies and

lesser coverts bright tawny sienna ; median coverts white, all

the outer ones more or less washed with tawny ; greater coverts

black, the inner web somewhat greyer, the first tipped with

white, the second with white slightly washed with tawny, the latter

colour gradually increasing in depth of tint and width to the ninth,

when the inner web becomes white-tipped; bastard wing black

externally, dark brown internally ; primary coverts dark brown ;

quills with more or less black outer webs, black shafts, and greyer

inner webs ; bastard primary quite as well developed as in the

House-Sparrow ( Passer domesticus') ; second primary with narrow

white edge to outer web ; remaining primaries with this edging

more or less interrupted and partly brimstone yellow ; the fifth to

the tenth with a conspicuous elongated white patch on outer web,



