24 
ON THE CLASSIEICATION OF BIRDS. 
is almost universal among the woodpeckers^ where its 
red colour generally indicates the male sex. 
(30.) The parts of the neck (eollum) are thus de- 
signated : the upper part is the cerviv, and the space be- 
tween the nape and the back is the auchenium ; but these 
parts are more commonly indicated in descriptions by 
“ neck above,” or “ npper neck.” The lower part is 
divided into three portions : first, there is the chin or 
mentiim (m,),a small space just beneath, and adjoining to, 
the lower mandible ; the gula (»), or upper throat, next 
succeeds; and ihejugulum., or lower throat, occupies the 
rest of the space between the gula and the commence- 
ment of the broad part of the body, which is termed the 
pectun (o), or breast : this latter being the most convex 
part of the whole. 
(31 .) The BODY (corpus, p) commences with, or joins, 
the pectus, or breast, and extends the whole length of 
the sternum, or real breast-hone ; the belly (abdomen, g) 
succeeds to this, which is terminated by the vent (ven- 
ter, r) ; immediately behind the vent, is what authors 
term the crissurn, but which is more properly the undt'r 
tail covers (s'); these are frequently of a different colour 
from the surrounding feathers, especially in the toucan 
family, and in certain groups whicli represent them, as 
the short-legged thrushes (Bravhyus), linnets (Linaria), 
&c. Proceeding to the upper part of the body (dorsum), 
we have the interscapular region (interscapulmn, t), si- 
tuated between the base of the wings ; which part is 
usually denominated, par excellence, the back ; as the 
tergum (v) is called the lower back : the uropggium, 
or rump, is that part where the upper tail feathers 
(w 2.) are inserted, and these latter are immediately 
above the crissurn. Last of aU is the tail (cauda), 
composed of long stiff feathers termed tectrices (x). 
As the various forms of these will be subsequently 
described, it is only necessary in this place to ob- 
serve, that the two middle feathers are the intermc- 
dial («), as more immediately interposed between those 
on the side, or lateral feathers (aa). We may now 
