84 JEATHERS. 



the feet of birds, unless it covers appendages, or 

 extends farther up than the articulations of the tarsi, 

 which are often styled the knees, but which are in 

 reality the ankle joints of the birds. When there is 

 a portion above these unfeathered, it is called the 

 garter. It occurs chiefly in running and wading 

 birds, and sometimes it is differently coloured from 

 the rest of the feet. The appendages to the feet of 

 birds consist of margins, lobes, and webs, which have 

 all reference to water, or to soft and sludgy surfaces; 

 and therefore the description of them falls properly 

 within that of the general account of the feet of loirds, 

 as characteristic of their haunts and of one of their 

 principal actions. 



FEATHERS. 



With the exceptions above stated, the bodies of 

 birds are covered with feathers. These feathers are 

 of three, or even of four kinds, — down or under- 

 clothing, common clothing, or imbricated feathers, 

 riving feathers, and supplemental or ornamental fea- 

 thers, of which the uses, in the economy of those 

 birds which possess them, are not very well known. 



Before proceeding to consider the situation, struc- 

 ture, and use ofthe principal feathers upon birds, it may 

 assist those who have not previously studied the subject, 

 to examine the figure in the next page. In this 

 figure, which is displayed for the purpose of showing 

 the more remarkable parts of a bird, a indicates the 

 ear coverts ; b, the bastard wing ; c, the lesser coverts : 

 D. the middle coverts ; e, the greater coverts ; f, the 

 piimary quills ; c, the scapulars ; h, the secondary 

 quills ; I, the nape ; k, the under tail coverts (not 

 shoN^-n) ; L, the rump and upper tail coverts. Feathers 

 vary so iftuch with the habits of birds that it is impos- 



