i6 The Essentials of Poultry Raising 



21. The .tail is divided into the main tail, sickle, and covert 

 feathers. The main tail feathers consist of a row of stiff large 

 feathers, arrang-ed in v-shape, just under the sickle and covert 

 feathers. The sickle feathers are the large curved feathers ex- 

 tending over the top of the tail. At the base of the sickle and 

 main tail feathers there are smaller feathers that cover the ba.se 

 of the first two. 



22. The wing is divided into the following parts : front, bow, 

 bar, secondaries, primaries, bay, and coverts. The wing bow 

 is the upper and outer third of the wing when folded and looks 

 Hke a bow. The wing bar is located just back of the wing bow 

 and in' some breeds makes a distinct bar. The secondaries are 

 the large stiff feathers located on the part of the wing nearest 

 the body, and the ten large stiff feathers on the outer end of the 

 wing are the flight or primary feathers. In some birds, when 

 the wing is folded, there is noted a three-cornered white space 

 at the back portion of the folded wing: this is called the wing 

 bay. The flight coverts are small, stiff feathers which cover 

 the roots of the flight feathers. 



23. The front part of the bird below the cape or hackle is the 

 breast. 



24. The sides of the bird constitute the body proper, and the 

 posterior part is occupied by the cushion or vent fluff. 



25. The leg is divided into the thigh, knee, tibia or drum-stick, 

 hock, shank, spur, foot, toes, and claws. The thigh is the femur 

 or that region around the first bone of the leg. The knee is the 

 first joint of the leg. The tibia or drum-stick is the second bone 

 of the leg, sometimes incorrectly called the thigh. The hock 

 is the second joint of the leg. The shank is the unfeathered 

 portion of the leg or the bone below the hock. The spur is 

 located on the inner and lower third of the shank and is best 

 developed in the male bird. The foot is provided with four 

 toes, three extending forward and one backward. Each toe has 

 a claw. 



