392 GLOSSARY 



Cap. The top of the head when of a distinct color. 



Cere. A peculiar covering of the bill of birds of prey extend- 

 ing beyond the nostrils. 



Cheek. The side of the head back of and below the eye. 



Chin. The part of the head just below the bill (see p. 40). 



Claw. The nail of the toe. 



Collar. A colored band extending more or less around the lower neck. 



Compressed. Flattened sideways. 



Conical. Cone-shaped, as the bills of many birds. 



Coniferous. Trees wliich bear cones, as the pines. 



Convex. Bulging outward, as the top and bottom ridges of 

 some bills. 



Coverts. The small feathers covering the bases of the larger 

 qmlls of wing and tail. 



Creamy. A light pinkish-yellow color like rich cream. 



Crest. A tuft of feathers on the top of the head ; these can 

 be raised or lowered at will. 



Crissum. The under tail coverts (see p. 40). 



Crown. The top of the head (see p. 40). 



Crustaceans. Animals with jouited covering, as the crab and lobster. 

 Culmen. The ridge of the upper mandible ; as a measure of the length of 

 the bill, it is the straight distance from the feathers on the forehead to 

 the tip of the bill (see p. 14). 



Decurved. Bent downward in a regular manner. 



Depressed. Flattened at the top and bottom ; a depressed bill 



is wider than high. 

 Dusky. A dark color of no especial shade. 



Erectile. Capable of being raised, as the crest of a bird. 

 Exserted. Extending beyond the rest, as the central tail 

 feathers of some sandpipers. 



Fauna. The animal life of a region. 



Flanks. The posterior portion of the sides of a bird (see p. 40). 



Forehead. The portion of the head ju.st above the bill (see p. 40). 



Forked. Deeply notched as the tails of many birds. 



Fulvous. A yellowish-brown. 



Fuscous. A dark or blackish-brown of rather indefinite shade. 



Gape. The opening of the mouth. 



Genus. A closely related group ; this close relationship is represented by 

 giving to all members the .same scientific name as far as the first word 

 is concerned ; this portion being called the generic name. 



