204 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 
CC — The lesser coverts of the wings, [tectrices primse, 
Lin.] small feathers that lie in several rows on the bones 
of the wings. The under coverts are those that line the 
inside of the wings. 
DD — The greater coverts, [ tectrices secundse, Lin.] 
the feathers that lie immediately over the quill feathers and 
the secondaries. 
GO — The primaries, or primary quills, [ primores , 
Lin.] the largest feathers of the wings: they rise from the 
first bone. 
EE — The secondaries, or secondary quills, [secon- 
daries, Lin.] those that rise from the second bone. 
HH — The tertials. These also take their rise from the 
second bone, at the elbow joint, forming a continuation of 
the secondaries, and seem to do the same with the scapu- 
lars, which lie over them. These feathers are so long in 
some of the Scolopax and Tringa genera, that when the 
bird is flying, they give it the appearance of having four 
wings. 
SS — The scapulars, or scapular feathers, take their 
rise from the shoulders, and cover the sides of the back. 
P — Coverts of the tail, [uropygium, Lin.] These fea- 
thers cover it on the upper side, at the base. 
V — The vent feathers, [crissum, Lin.] those that lie 
from the vent, or anus, to the tail underneath. 
Iris, (plural irides) the part which surrounds the pupil 
of the eye. 
Mandibles, — the upper and under parts of the bill. 
Compressed, — flatted at the sides vertically. 
Depressed, — flatted horizontally. 
Cuneated, — wedge-shaped. 
The cere, [cera, Lin.] the naked skin which covers the 
base of the bill, as in the Hawk kind. 
The orbits, [ orbita , Lin.] the skin which surrounds the 
eye. It is generally'bare, but particularly in the Parrot and 
the Heron. 
When the bill is notched near the tip, as in Shrikes, 
Thrushes, &c. it is called by Linnaeus rostrum emargina- 
tum. 
Vibrissse, (Lin.) are hairs that stand forward like feel- 
ers: in some birds they are slender, as in Flycatchers, &c. 
and point both upwards and downwards, from both the up- 
per and under sides of the mouth. 
Capistrum , — a word used by Linnaeus to express the 
short feathers on the forehead, just above the bill. In 
some birds these feathers fall forward over the nostrils: 
they quite cover those of the Crow. 
Rostrum cultratum, (Lin. ) when the edges of the bill 
are very sharp, as in that of the Crow. 
Vibrissse pectinatse, (Lin.) as in the Whip-poor-will. 
These hairs in this bird are very stiff, and spread out on 
each side like a comb from the upper sides of the mouth 
only. 
Serrated like a saw. Pectinated signifies toothed like 
a comb. 
The Lore, [lorum, Lin.] as in the Grebe, the space be- 
tween the bill and the eye, which in this genus is bare, but 
in other birds is generally covered with feathers. 
Fin-footed and scalloped, [pinnatus, Lin.] as in the 
feet of Coots. 
Fes lobatus, (Lin.) Toes furnished on the sides with 
broad plain membranes, as in the feet of the Grebe. 
Web-footed, — where the toes are connected by webs, 
as in Ducks. 
Semi-palmated, [semi-palm atus, Linnaeus,] when the 
middle of the webs reach only about half the length of the 
toes. 
Ciliated, [linguia siliata, Lin.] when the tongue is 
edged with fine bristles, as in Ducks. 
Nostrils linear, — when they are extended lengthwise 
in a line with the bill, as in Divers, &c. 
Nostrils pervious, — when they are open, and may be 
seen through from side to side, as in Gulls, &c. 
Bewick . 
WHIRLWINDS AND WATERSPOUTS. 
The following table shows the velocities of the different 
winds, from one mile in an hour, when the motion is 
scarcely perceptible, to one hundred miles, which is the 
speed of the destructive hurricane. 
Miles 
Feet 
per hour. 
per second* 
1 
1.47 
2 
2.937 
3 
4.40 5 
4 
5.877 
5 
. .. 7.33 5 
10 
15 
20 
, .. 29.34 7 
25 
. .. 36.675 
30 
35 51.34 
40 • 58.88 
45 66.01 
50 73.35 
60 88.02 
Light airs. 
Breeze. 
Brisk gale. 
Fresh gale. 
Strong gale. 
^ Hard gale. 
£ Storm. 
80 
100 
117 36? hurricanes tearing up trees, over- 
,, r ' 7n r turning buildings, and almost every 
A Mother obstacle. 
