C. J. Sundevall on the Wings of Birds. 425 
many forms of birds, possibly in all except the Song-birds, 
Pici, and Owls. It is very long, strong, and hooked in 
Struthio ; long, straight, and pointed in Ciconia and Sterna 
cylindrical, blunt, and but little curved in Cypselus; similar, 
but small, in Falco palumbarius; very small, flat, nearly of 
the form of the human nails, in Columba, the Gallinse, Anates, 
&c. In Struthio (S. camelus and casuarius) there is also a 
claw at the apex of the large finger of the wing. 
2. Pennce humerales (quill-feathers of the humerus, figs. 
2, 3, 6, & 7, t). —We may so name, although not quite 
properly, from three to six small, nearly always concealed 
feathers which spring from the upper surface of the humerus 
close to its apex. They are distinguished, when they are 
developed, by some resemblance in form to the remiges 
cubitales, and have most frequently a different colour from 
the dorsal and covert-feathers; but if we trace out the series 
which they form, they are found to constitute a continuation 
of the tectrices minores cubitales. The middle one or more 
are always the largest. 
In the Song-birds they are very small, soft, and downy at 
the margins, and therefore difficult to distinguish. How¬ 
ever, they may be distinctly recognized in Fringilla and 
Pyrrhula. 
Picus has 3, very small but distinct; Psittacus has 4, 
and Coracias 5, well developed; but in Columba and Cyp¬ 
selus they can hardly be distinguished. In the Accipitres 
there are always three or four distinct ones, but very small, 
and differing considerably in form. So also in the Gallinse. 
In Scolopaoc, Numenius , Totanus, and many of the smaller 
Waders, I have counted 5 very distinctly: so also in Fuli- 
gula; 6 in Cygnus, Lestris, and Colymbus , and 8 in Podiceps 
rubricollis. Larus has two pretty long ones and some very 
small. 
This series of feathers is followed, in front, by one or 
more series which can only be called tectrices humerales. 
They have quite the aspect of covert- or dorsal feathers. 
Nitzsch names these feathers the parapterum, which name 
is, however, employed by llliger in common for these and 
