401 
C. J. Sundevall on the Wings of Birds. 
in most of these respects they differ in almost every genus, 
and often in species of the same genus, especially among the 
Land-birds. These differences furnish good characters, and 
belong to the systematic exposition of ornithology; but we 
may here notice the following more general conditions. The 
typical form seems to be that all the ten feathers are of equal 
length; but in consequence of the way in which they are 
attached to the hand, the first feather projects beyond the 
following ones, and thus seems to be the longest, while the 
following ones appear to get gradually shorter. The wing is 
then quite acute. This form of wing occurs generally among 
the lower birds, namely in a great many of the Water-birds 
(all the Pygopodes and Longipennes; the Tubinares, except 
Thalassidroma, Mergus, Fuligula, and some of the Stegano- 
podes), in more than half the Grallae ( Charadrii , Strepsilas , 
&c., nearly all Tringarise [Scolopacinae], though in these often 
1 = 2), but only in a very few others, namely in Pterocles alone 
among the Gallinae, and in Trochilus. In Cypselus the second 
feather is a little longer. In no single true Song-bird is the 
first feather the longest. 
With a higher development of the wing it is instead one of 
the following feathers (nos, 2-4) that is the longest, while 
the first is somewhat abbreviated. In those which fly with 
remarkable rapidity, the second feather is usually the longest 
(e. g. Hirundo, Ocypterus, Falco } Merops ); in others the wing 
is rounded and broad, owing to the third, fourth, or even 
the fifth or sixth feather being longest; but this last only in 
short wings. The birds of which the wings are thus rounded 
and at the same time of considerable length have also very 
large cubital feathers, and fly remarkably well and steadily 
(e. g. Vultur, Acjuila, Ciconia). Only a few Water-birds have 
the second feather the longest ( Thalassidroma, Anas, Ber- 
nicla) , and there are not many that possess rounded wings 
(Anser, Cygnus, Carbo, Pelecanus ). Among the Waders the 
two conditions are already more common; rounded wings 
occur in Vanellus , in all Rallidse (with Fulica), in all Cico- 
niinae, Grus, Otis, and Ardea. In the Land-birds it is the 
most common condition. 
