Vlll BIKD.S OF EASTERN NOltTH AiMEKICA. 



HOW TO MEASURE A BIRD. 



Wing. — Distance from carpal joint C (bend of wing) to ttie tip of tlie longest 

 primary D. See cut on page 8. 



Length Distance in a straight line from the end of the bill to the tip of the 



longest tail feather. (Occasionally the middle feathers are much elong- 

 ated, as in the Old Squaw and Pintail Duck, and in other families of 

 birds, such as Phrethon and Stercorarias. In such cases it is well to 

 give the lengtli from bill to longest tail feather, and also to end of 

 outer tail feather.) 



Tail. — Distance from the tip of the longest tail feather to its base (the point where 

 it enters the body) . 



BiJI. — The distance in a straight lino from where the bill (upper mandible) joins 

 the skin of the forehead (A) to the tip (B). (There are a few excep- 

 tions to this rule, in otlier families, such as Ijirds witli frontal plate, etc. 

 Some curved l)ills are measured along the curve of the culmen, and au 

 times it is advisable to measure from the nostril to the tip of the bill, 

 but in such cases it should always be so stated.) 



Tarsus. — Distance in front of the leg from what appears to be the knee joint (end 

 of tibia) to the root of the middle toe. All measurements are given 

 in inches and fractions of au inch. 



