Tails A415 
the tail proper, as the elongated middle feathers of the 
male Pintail Duck and the Sharp-tailed Grouse. 
Turning to a few of the more decorative tails in the 
world of birds, we find a small Australian bird, known 
as the Emeu-wren, bearing aloft a half-dozen long feathers, 
so scantily clothed with barbs as to resemble somewhat 
the plumage of the Emeu itself. These skeleton plumes, 
for they are little else, while giving a striking appearance 
Fig. 330.—Tail of Emeu-wren. (Cf. with Fig. 23.) 
to the owner, must radically weaken its flight, as regards 
steering capacity; since the open-work mesh of the vanes 
can offer no resistance to the air. Indeed it is said of 
this bird that it is such a poor flier that it is seldom seen 
on the wing, but it runs rapidly and is able to leap into 
the lower branches of trees. The penalty of danger from 
weakened flight which the Emeu-wren must pay for his 
caudal decoration is paralleled by certain little whydah- 
finches of Africa, the males of which at the breeding 
season are decorated with several tail-feathers over five 
