﻿PARTS OF A BIRD. WING. LEG. 25 



pass on to the members,, which are composed of the 

 wings and feet. 



(32.) The wing of a bird, and its parts, will be more 

 particularly described hereafter: our only object at pre- 

 sent is to give a very short explanation of the terms, and 

 to designate the different parts in relation to the figure 

 delineated at p. 22. The humerus (bb), is generally 

 termed the shoulder ; the fiexum (cc), is the shoulder 

 joint ; and the axilla (dd), which corresponds to the 

 cubitus, is commonly called the shoulder margin. These 

 terms are sufficiently precise to characterise the contour 

 of the bony parts of the wings, which is all that is ne- 

 cessary when the mere colouring of the plumage of these 

 parts is concerned. The wings are clothed with three 

 sorts of feathers : the first, which are the smallest, are 

 the tectrices, or wing covers; the second are the sca- 

 pulars (scapulares) ; and the third are the quills (re- 

 miges). The wing covers, again, from being of various 

 sizes, and covering different parts, are divided into the 

 shoulder covers (tectrices humerales), the lesser covers 

 (tectrices minor es), and the greater covers (tectrices ma- 

 jores). Adjoining these latter, and protecting the base 

 of the quills themselves, are certain small feathers, placed 

 in a series, of which the largest is always outermost, 

 called the spurious wings (alee spurice, ee). The scapulars 

 are a series of feathers which spring from the base of the 

 humerus, or shoulder (ff), and are continued in a lon- 

 gitudinal stripe so as to cover the last series of the quill 

 feathers, with which, in fact, they often become con- 

 founded. This brief explanation will sufficiently ex- 

 plain the universal nomenclature of the wings of all 

 birds: but so important a subject will again be ad- 

 verted to. 



(S3.) The leg, as in quadrupeds, is composed, 1. Of 

 the thigh (tibia, gg); 2. The tarsus, or shank (h h); and, 

 3. The digiti, or toes (ii). Of these last, one, which is 

 almost always placed backwards, or in opposition to the 

 others, is distinguished as the hallux, or hind toe ; and 

 they are all terminated by ungues, or claws. The fore 



