EXTEKIOU OF A BIRD. 



13 



volume easily and successfully. Here, however, I will insert a tabular illus- 

 tration of the foreojoino; remarks : — - 



Class AVES: — Birds. 



(Sub-class* Insessoves: — Perching Birds.) 

 Order Passekes : — Passerine Perchers. 



(Sub-order Oscines: — Singing Passerines.) 

 Family f Turdidje : — Thrushes. 

 (Sub-family f Mimince: — Mocking Thrushes.) 

 Genus X MiMUS :— Mockers. 

 , (Sub-genus I J/^n^^<.s■.• — Typical Mockers.) 

 Species X polyglottus : — Manj^-tongued. 

 (Variety caudaius : — Long-tailed . ) 



SECT. III. Definition and brief Description of the Exterior of 

 A Bird. — Parts and Organs — I. The body : head, neck and body 

 PROPER. — II. The members: bill, wings, tail, feet. 



§ 28. The Contour of a bird with the feathers on, is spindle-shaped, or 

 fusiform, tapering at both ends; it represents two cones, joined base to base 

 at the middle, or greatest girth of body, tapering in front to the tip of the 

 bill, behind to the end of the tail. Obvious design: easiest cleavage of air 

 in front, and lessening of drag or wash behind. But this shape is largely 

 produced by the lay of the plumage ; a 



§ 29. Naked Bird presents several prominences and depressions; this ir- 

 regular contour is reducible, in general terms, to two double cones. The 

 head tapers to a point in front, at the tip of the bill ; and nearly to a point 

 behind, towards the middle of the neck, in consequence of the swelling mus- 

 cles by which it is slung on the neck ; from the middle of the somewhat 

 contracted or hour-glass shaped neck, this last enlarges toward the bod}', by 

 the swelling of the muscles by which it is slung to the body ; the body then 

 tapers to the tail. The 



§ 30. Exterior of a Bird is divided into seven parts : 1, head (caput), 

 2, neck {collum), 3, body (tnincus), 4, bill {rostrum), 5, wings {alai), 6, 

 tail (cauda), 7, feet (pedes) : 1, 2, 3, arc colJectivel}' called " bcxl}'," in dis- 

 tinction to 4, 5, 6, 7, which are members. The 



* Intermediate groups are in italics and parentheses. 



^Families now always end in -id(s, and snb-families in -iHte, a very convenient distinction, since we thns 

 always know the rank designated hy words so ending. 



\ A bird's scientilic name now invariably consists of two words — the genns and tlie species, the former 

 first, the latter last; thns, Mimus polyt/lottus ; but we may, if we wish, interpolate the sub-genus in parenthe- 

 ses, and afiix the variety with sign var. : thus, Mtinus {Mimus) poUjglottas, var. caudaius. Generic names 

 are always written with a capital; speciflc names, according to the rules of the British Association, now gen- 

 erally followed, should never be, though it is customary to so write those that are derived from the names 

 of persons and places, as well as all substantive appellations. 



