Jeffries oil the Primaries of Birds . 159 
the primary coverts, and above these yet another row. Besides 
these there is a double row of feathers running down the anterior 
edge of the wing to the tip, distinguished from the rest by their 
smaller size and position on the opposite side of the finger bones. 
The thumb also has a special set of papillae* which develop into 
the spurious wing feathers. Passing to the fore-arm we first 
come to the secondaries, in this case nine in number. Above 
these we find another row of papillae, the secondary coverts, 
placed between the bases of the secondaries. These papillae are 
not nine in number, but eleven, the first one being placed above 
the tenth primary and the eleventh behind, or proximal to the 
last secondary. This first secondary covert later grows into close 
relations with the last primary and has been mistaken for a pri- 
mary covert. From this arise the statements that there are as 
many primary coverts as primaries. That this feather is really 
not a primary covert is apparent in very young birds. Above the 
secondary coverts there is yet a third row of eight. Besides 
these, if we look carefully, we find two or more little papillae 
placed between the tenth primary and first secondary and the first 
and second secondaries. When the wing feathers have broken 
out of their sheaths many more little feathers are developed 
along the edge of the fore-arm. These little feathers can, 
for the most, be referred to two rows, one between and alternating 
with the secondaries and the other between the secondaries and 
their coverts. Besides these, other little feathers appear at 
the carpal region, between the primaries and secondaries ; these I 
cannot correllate, though they are quite constant both in position 
and number. 
If we now take a young Sparrow in its first plumage and count 
forwards and backwards from the carpal joint we find exactly 
the same number of feathers as papillae in the nestling. Only the 
second “ little feather” must be counted as the first primary and 
the first little feather as the covert, not of the first primary but of 
the second. The first has no covert. In the wing of a young Song 
Sparrow ( Melospiza melodia ) now before me the “ second little 
feather” is clearly in line with the other primaries and the first little 
feather, larger than the second is placed above and between the 
second little feather and first primary of systematic writers : that 
is to say, between the first and second primaries. In the adult 
Song Sparrow we find exactly the same conditions save that the two 
t 
