﻿112 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



in Picus and Certhia familiar is ; 4. linear (e), where the 

 form of the feather is narrow, of equal breadth, and the 

 tip obtuse or truncate, as in Tamatia ; 5. mucronate, 

 when the end is broad and nearly truncate; but the tip 

 of the shaft slightly projects, so as to form a flexible 

 thorn-like point, as in the common jay, and in 

 Ptilonorhynchus (g), and Phonigama (A); 6. cuspidate, 

 when this point is more lengthened and slightly rigid, 

 as in Synallaocis (i) ; J. acuminate, when the point 

 is naked, rigid, and sharp, as in Dendrocolaptes (k) and 

 Chcetura (J) ; 8. emarginate, having a notch in the 

 middle of the tip, as in Merops (m) ; Q. filiform, when 

 the feathers end in long wire-like processes ; 10. capitate 

 (n), when the end of a linear feather is rather dilated; 1 1 . 

 spatulate (o), when the shaft is naked towards the middle, 

 but suddenly webbed at its extremity, as in the racket- 

 tailed humming-birds, &c. ; 12. divaricated (/)), when 

 the webs form a point on each side, as if the shaft was 

 broken, as in Temnurus maculatus ; 13. worn (9), 

 formed like the last, but accidentally the shaft and webs, 

 as in the woodpeckers, being worn by friction. 



( 1 04.) The foot of a bird is nearly of as much import- 

 ance to its existence as its wings ; although it may be 

 supposed that many sorts, the swallow, for instance, would 

 be able to sustain life for a much longer period under 

 the injury of a foot, than it would do if an equally se- 

 vere accident had happened to the wing. The leg is obvi- 

 ously divided into three parts: 1. the thigh; 2. the shank, 

 or tarsus ; and 3. the foot itself, composed of the toes. 

 The thigh is subject to very few variations beyond relative 

 length, and in being more or less clothed with feathers. 

 In aquatic birds it is generally naked before it reaches 

 the knee joint. In the perching and rapacious orders, it 

 is invariably clothed with feathers, more especially in the 

 latter, where the feathers are more lengthened than usual, 

 and often elegantly ornamented with spots and bands ; 

 but when the lower part of the thigh is naked, it is 

 covered with scales, nearly similar to those on the next 

 joint: the tarsus and the foot, but chiefly the Latter* 



