88 
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OP BIRDS. 
and third are of the same length ; but there is a falling 
off among the white-eyed warblers (^Zosterops'), where the 
first quill begins to shorten, and this leads on to a gradual 
shortening of the two next quills, until the form of the 
wing becomes rounded. The second description of wing 
which is termed pointed, is seen in the hooded and 
other genuine crows, in the Drongo shrikes, and in 
many of the flycatchers of the old world (Muscicapina;). 
In most of these the wing is long, either reaching to 
the middle of the tail or beyond it, but the first quill is 
little more than halt the length of those which are 
longest, which are pnerally the fourth and fifth. An 
inspection of the wing of the hooded crow will at once 
give a more correct idea of tlie relative lengtii of the 
three first primary quills than the most exact description 
could do : it will be perceived that the fourth quiU is 
the longest, the third and fifth being equal to each 
other, hut rather shorter than the fourth. There is 
but little variation from this structure in the Drongo 
shrikes, which, nevertheless, according to Le Vaillant, 
possess g^at rapidity of flight. He states that these 
birds, natives of Southern Africa, qgsemble together in the 
evening upon trees, from which they make frequent and 
rapid excursions, much in the manner of swallows, after 
bees and other peaceful insects which are wending home 
from their day’s labour. 
(81.) E.MARGINATBD wings are obviously formed for 
rapid flight, but they have no fixed character in the 
proportion of the exterior primaries ; for in some groups 
the first quill is as long as any of the others, while in 
other instances, the first, second, and third quiUs are 
gradually shortened, as we see in the Drongo shrikes * the 
true distinction of an emarginate wing consists of a 
sudden notch, or sinuosity, more or less abrupt, which 
is found on the margin of the inner shaft of the longest 
quills. This notch in the true falcons is situated near 
the end of the shaft(y?^. 44* tt.), but in the sparrow-hawk, 
and other of the “ignoble " hawks, it is placed at the 
base. (6) The flight of these latter birds is well known 
