320



On Characters in Birds' Wings.



washed in front with sulphur yellow; third to fifth primaries

emarginate in front towards their extremities; second and third

primaries with ashy borders to inner webs excepting towards the

tips, the fourth to tenth with broad white borders to inner webs :

anterior secondaries with a tapering marginal white streak

towards extremities on outer web ; this streak becomes gradually

more tawny and encircles the tips in the posterior secondaries ;

in continuation of the elongate white patches on the outer webs

of the primaries, the secondaries show cuneiform white patches

faintly stained in front with tawny ; the narrow white and

sulphur edging to the outer webs in the primaries is represented

on the anterior secondaries by a broader (and shorter) streak,

which increases in width and gradually becomes tawny on the

inner secondaries, encircling the tips of the last three ; the first

six secondaries have broad white borders to the inner webs

excepting towards their extremities. Wings below grey, with

white inner borders to the flights ; under wing-coverts whitish,

becoming yellow at base of wing.


I think it will be admitted that in the dried skin it would

be hopeless to attempt to describe all these details ; and there¬

fore once more I would urge upon our elder brothers—the

systematists, to delay no longer in adding as complete a series as

possible of sexed mounted wings to the collections under their

charge. I am quite sure, if they will do this, that many

unsuspected characters of importance will be brought to light,

which will be of assistance to them in their studies ; I am

equally certain that it will enable them to distinguish with ease

the sexes of many species which have hitherto been doubtfully

or even incorrectly determined by collectors and taxidermists.


Of course, in comparing some species, such as the

Dunlin, in which the wings of male and female are almost

uniform in size and structure, the weight and size of the bodies

must not be overlooked; the male, with its smaller body but

equally large wings has a great advantage over the female when

flying.



