NAMES OF THE FEATHERS . 
5 
hollow throughout their centres, so as to combine great strength with the least possible weight. 
These hollow bones communicate with the legs through certain curious appendages called air- 
sacs, which open into the lungs, and apparently serve as reservoirs of respirable atmosphere, 
so that the bird is able to force the hot and rarefied air from its lungs into its bones. . In some 
very rare instances even the bones of the feet and toes are hollow, and penetrable with air as 
far as the insertion of the claws. Some birds, however, especially those of small dimensions, 
do not possess these hollow bones, and in all cases the cavity is not developed until the creature 
has attained to maturity. In the apteryx, a non-flying bird, the only hollow bone is that of 
the lower jaw. So complete is the communication with the lungs through the bones of some 
birds, that if the bone should be broken they are enabled to breathe through the open extremity, 
even though the throat be compressed, or the head plunged under water. 
This slight sketch of the skeleton is necessary as a prelude to the description of the 
Featiiebs, because several of the most important of these appendages derive their names from 
the portion of the structure on which they are set. 
On a general view of a bird it will be seen that the feathers fall naturally into two orders, 
namely, those of progression and those of covering. But as in the description of a bird, 
especially of one that is unknown to science, and of which no figure is extant, it is needful to 
describe the form and color of the different portions of the creature with great accuracy, this 
sweeping division of the feathers into two sets will be quite insufficient for the purpose. On 
a closer examination, however, it will be seen that the feathers possess a kind of natural 
arrangement, which, with a few unimportant and obvious additions, is amply sufficient for 
actual scientific purposes. The best mode of learning the name of the different parts of the 
plumage is to procure any bird, say a sparrow or pigeon, which may easily be obtained, and 
to investigate the formation and arrangement of the feathers from actual inspection. It is an 
interesting little study, and will save much time, as a lesson once so learned will never again 
be forgotten. We will suppose a dead sparrow to be laid on the table. 
Let one of its wings be spread upon the table, and its plumage will be seen to consist of 
a row of long, flat, and stiff quill feathers, whose insertion is covered by a great number 
of smaller and softer' feathers. The quill feathers are technically termed “ principals,” and 
the others are called from their office, “coverts.” Before examining the principals, it needs 
that the coverts be first attacked, because they must be removed before the quill feathers can 
be properly traced to their sources. Along the upper surface of the wing run two or three 
rows of these short feathers, which are termed the “ greater coverts,” and below these a single 
row of “lesser coverts,” the latter of which may be distinguished by their slightly different 
shape and manner of lying. The under surface of the wing is clothed with a dense layer of 
small feathers termed the “under coverts.” 
Now let all the upper coverts be removed, and the quill feathers will be visible from their 
insertion to their extremity. On spreading out the wing it will be seen that ten of these 
feathers spring from that portion of the wing bone which corresponds to the hand and fingers 
of man. As these feathers come first in point of order, beginning at the extremity of the 
wing, they are termed the “primaries,” and indicate by their shape and development, the 
mode of flight followed by the bird. If, for instance, they are comparatively short, rounded, 
and concave, as is the case with our example, the sparrow, the flight is slow and laborious, 
accompanied with much beating of the wing and dipping in the air between each stroke. If 
they are long, firm, and flat, as seen in the eagles, vultures, and other similar birds, the flight 
is easy and graceful, though capable of exceeding swiftness when needful. If they are large, 
concave, and edged with soft fringes, the flight is quiet and noiseless, as is seen in the owls. 
Some birds, such as the ostrich, the cassowary, and other running birds, possess short and 
pointed primaries, which can hardly be recognized as belonging to so large a bird, and the 
flight is in consequence reduced to zero. 
Next to the primaries come a second set of quills, called for that reason “secondaries.” 
They are often undistinguishable externally from the primaries, into which they imperceptibly 
merge, but may be at once detected by following them to their roots, which are inserted upon 
