File:The world's birds a simple and popular classification of the birds of the world (1908) (14748363182).jpg

Identifier: worldsbirdssimpl00finn (find matches)
Title: The world's birds a simple and popular classification of the birds of the world
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Finn, Frank
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London, Hutchinson & co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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hers. Thethird toe, or middle front toe, sometimes has a toothededge to the inner side of the claw. This is, no doubt,to increase its efficiency in scratching, as all birdsscratch themselves with this third toe. The outer toe isabsent only in a small Chinese Babbler (Cholornisparadoxa). In many birds, however, as in Parrotsand Woodpeckers, it is turned backwards, thus throw-ing the toes into two pairs. Such pair-toed birds oftenlose the hind-toe, which shows that the disposition oftoes in pairs is no special adaptation to climbing. The toes may be altogether free—that is to say, notconnected by skin—or they may be more or less unitedby a common skin, as in Kingfishers, or more or lessconnected by a web or loose skin allowing of extension. XIV INTRODUCTION. This is, of course, best developed in water-fowl, as itrenders the foot more serviceable as a paddle, but it isoften present to a small degree in land birds also, asin the common fowl, and its presence and degree of CERE / 1 -N^
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WINC 5CCONOARY QUILLS TIPSPRIMARY UPPER TAIL COVERTS UNDER TAIL COVERTS Outline of Parrot to explain the less familiar and more useful termsused in describing birds (such terms as crown, throat, breast, &c.,of course explain themselves). development affords a useful character for the dis-crimination of families. The shank and toes are usually covered with scales, INTRODUCTION. XV which vary in number and size. When they are verysmall and numerous the covering of the foot is said to be reticulated or netted. The scales down the front ofthe shank may be fused into a single plate, as in theThrush. In some birds, as in Owls and Grouse, theshanks, and often the toes, may be covered with smallsoft feathers, but no wild bird produces the large stiffquills which grow on the sides of the feet of some tamefowls and Pigeons. As a general rule all the toes areprovided with claws, usually curved and pointed, andthere is never more than one toe without a claw. The tail quills vary very much inworldsbirdssimpl00finn

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