PARTS OP A BIRD. WING. LEG. 25 
pass on to the members^ which are composed of the 
wings and feet. 
(32.) The WING of a hirdj and its parts^ will be more 
particularly described hereafter; our only object at pre- 
sent is to give a very short explanation of the terms, and 
to designate the different parts in relation to the figure 
delineated at p. 22. The h umerus (bV), is generally 
termed the shoulder ; the jlexum (cc), is the shoulder 
joint ; and the axilla (dit), which corresponds to the 
cubitus, is commonly called the shoulder margin. These 
terms are sufliciently precise to characterise the contour 
of the bony parts of the wings, which is all that is ne- 
cessary when the mere colouring of the plumage of these 
parts is concerned. The wings are clothed with three 
sorts of feathers : the first, which are the smallest, are 
the tectriccs, or wing covers ; the second are the sca- 
pulars (scapulares) ; and the third are the quills (re- 
migcs). The wing covers, again, from being of various 
sizes, and covering different parts, are divided into the 
shoulder covers (tectriccs hume.rales), the lesser covers 
(tectriccs minnrcs), and the greater covers (tectrices ma- 
jores). Adjoining these laiter, and protecting the base 
of the quills themselves, are certain small feathers, placed 
in a series, of which the largest is always outermost, 
called the spurious wings {alec spuriw,ee). The scapulars 
are a series of feathers which spring from the base of the 
humerus, or shoulder (//), and are continued in a lon- 
gitudinal stripe so as to cover the last series of the quill 
feathers, with which, in fact, they often become con- 
founded. This brief explanation will sufficiently ex- 
plain the universal nomenclature of the wings of all 
birds: but so important a subject will again be ad- 
verted to. 
(S3.) The LEG, as in quadrupeds, is composed, 1. Of 
the thigh (^tibia, gg); 2. The tarau.v, or shank (5 /i); and, 
3. The (ligiti, or toes («). Of these last, one, which is 
almost always placed backwards, or in opposition to the 
others, is distinguished as the hallux, or hind toe ; and 
they are all terminated by ungues, or claws. The fore 
