METHOD OF USING THE KEY 



41 



est tail feather to the flesh in which it is fastened. This 

 cannot be accurately measured without feeling (by placing 

 the thumb and first finger above and below the tail coverts) 

 for the fleshy mass to which all tail feathers are attached. 

 The ''tarsus" can be readily measured. It is the distance 

 from the joint at the heel to the toes. The word " culmen " is 

 almost always used in the book instead of " bill," because its 

 measurement is more easy and certain. It is the straight dis- 





tance from the beginning of the bill at the forehead to the tip. 

 The " toe " measures only the length to the base of the nail. 

 If length to the tip of nail is intended, the expression " toe 

 and nail " or « toe and claw " is used. 



The name at the beginning of each description is the common 

 name of the bird as decided upon by the American Ornitholo- 

 gists' Union; the names at the end in parenthesis are other 

 names in more or less cgmmon u§e. 



