A MANUAL OF ZOOLOGY 7S 



do they compare with those in the frog? Dissect the pel- 

 vic girdle. Find the femur. Are the fibula and the tibia 

 distinct? "Find the astragalus and the os calcis. 



AVES. 

 English Sparrow (Passer domesticus.) 



EXTERNAL FEATURES— Take some time to note 

 all the ways that come to you readily In which the hird 

 differs from other forms studied. This should be a test 

 of your powers of observation and comparison, and should 

 be done before your attention is called to the differences 

 and the lilienesses. Note the beak, composed of the upper 

 and lower mandibles, at the front part of the head. Is 

 there any resemblance to that of the turtle? Find the 

 nostrils. How is their external opening protected? Do 

 they open into the mouth? Jn front of the eyes at the 

 base of the beak find the rectal bristles. Note the position 

 of the eyes. Can a bird see an object with both eyes at 

 once? Demonstrate the nictitating membrane by working 

 with a tenaculum in the anterior corner of the eye. 



Associate the following names, much used in the de- 

 scription of birds, with the appropriate parts of the body. 

 The front part of the head is the forehead, the top, the 

 crown, the back part, the occiput, the back part of the 

 neck, the nape, the front part, the throat. In the male the 

 throat is black. Between the corner of the eye and the 

 corner of the mouth Is the lore. At the base of the lower 

 mandible is .the chin. Find the ear. Are the feathers cov- 

 ering it different from the others? The dorsal portion of 

 the bird is the back. The narrow portion in front of the 

 tail is the rump. The large, stiff tail feathers are the 

 rectrices. Overlapping them dorsal are the upper tail 

 coverts, and ventrally, the under tail coverts. The pos- 

 terior ventral part of the body is the belly, and the anter- 

 ior, the breast. Stretch out a wing. How many general 

 divisions can you feel? The long feathers on the most dis- 

 tal portion are the primaries. ' On the middle portion are 

 the secondaries. The short feathers overlapping the pri- 

 maries and the secondaries are the primary and second- 

 ary wing coverts, upper and lower. At the angle of the 

 outer joint is a little buncl^ of feathers on the pollex or 



