THE SUNFISH AND THE SPARROIV 63 



wing and lying partly over the upper greater coverts is a 

 tuft of short quills, the spurious quills ; underneath the 

 wing at its junction with the body are some long, narrow 

 feathers, the axillars. 



Spread the wing out and note where the quill feathers 

 are inserted. Note how perfectly the feathers fit together 

 and overlap, both when the wing is outspread and when 

 folded. The wing corresponds to our arm and hand, 

 the primaries being inserted on the hand (in the bird 

 there is only one large finger, two very small ones not 

 showing except in the skeleton), the secondaries on the 

 forearm and the tertiaries on the upper arm. With what 

 part of the fish does the wing of the bird correspond.'' 

 If a cleaned and mounted skeleton of a bird can be had 

 ibr examination the bones of the wing should be studied 

 and drawn. 



The names of the various regions of the trunk can be 

 learned by reference to fig. 34. 



How many rectrices or tail feathers are there .'' What 

 is the use of the tail.'' Note the oil gland above the base 

 of the tail. What is the use of the oil.'' How is it put 

 on the feathers.'' Observe this in a chicken. 



Examine a leg. It is composed of thigh, shank, and 

 foot, the foot comprising the long slender tarsus and four 

 toes with claws. What parts of the leg are feathered.'' 

 Note the covering on the unfeathered parts. What are 

 the toes well fitted for.' There is much variety in the 

 shape and character of birds' legs, including differences 

 in the length of the various parts, in the covering, in the 

 number and position of the toes, and in the size of the 

 claws. All these differences, as well as the many in the 

 shape and character of the bill, are correlated with habits, 

 especially the feeding habits of the birds, and offer a most 

 interesting subject for study. Special attention is given 

 this subject in Chapter XV. 



