26 EXTERNAL PARTS 



If the bird is mounted, any raising of the wing should be 

 prohibited as it would permanently injure the specimen. If 

 the bird has been properly mounted for study, the wings will 

 be spread enough to allow the first primary to show. If not, 

 the feathers of the body can usually be pressed away from the 

 wing by the tip of a pencil, enough to enable one to see it. 

 The first primary is said to be spurious^ when only about one 

 third the length of the second, and slwrt - when two thirds as 

 long. 



In many birds of prey and in many shore birds, more or less 

 of the primaries are rather abruptly narrowed on their inner 

 webs ; such primaries are said to be emarginate or notched.' If 

 not so abruptly narrowed, the word attenuated * is used. These 

 words do not refer to the tip of the quill itself; it can be 

 rounded, acute, or even acuminate. 



Forms of wings. — The three great varieties of wings are the 

 long and po»t?e(? ' (swallows), sJiort and rounded'^ (wrens), and 

 the ample, or both long and broad (herons). 



CHAPTER V 



LEGS 



Use. — The legs of birds serve many minor purposes in the 

 different groups, besides the general one of locomotion. A 

 large majority of birds perch on stems and hop (leap or jump 

 would be more accurate words for the purpose) from twig to 

 twig. The woodpeckers and many others climb up the surfaces 

 of tree trunks; ducks swim; the grebes dive; and the parrots 

 grasp and handle. In the use of the organ for locomotion 

 there are wonderful differences in the various families. The 



