Identifier: birdlifeguide00chap (find matches)
Title: Bird-life; a guide to the study of our common birds
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Chapman, Frank M. (Frank Michler), 1864-1945 Seton, Ernest Thompson, 1860-1946
Subjects: Birds -- United States
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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omotus svbruffsceni), showingnewly giown featlieis, (at the left) and lesults of self mflitted mutilation in confinement where they were isolated from others oftheir kind, trimmed their tail-feathers soon after theywere grown.* The habit, therefore, is inherited, but the mutilation,although it has doubtless been practiced for countlessgenerations, has not become inherent, unless we considerthe constriction in the vane of the feather at the placewhere it is to be trimmed an indication of inheritance. The Motmot gesticulates with its tail in a remarkablemanner, swinging it from side to side, so that it suggeststhe pendulum of a clock, or sweeping it about in circleswith a movement which reminds one of a bandmasterflourishing his baton. We shall find in other species,also, that the tail, more than any other organ, is used toexpress emotion. Recall its twitching and wagging; howit is nervously spread or jetted, showing the white See Cherrie, The Auk (New York city), vol. ix, 1892, p. 323.
Text Appearing After Image:
Plate \JII. Page 94. AMERICAN COOT.Length, 1,rOO inches. Head and neck blackish, bodj^ slate; under tail cov-erts, tips of secondaries, and end of bill white.CLAPPER RAIL.Length, 14-50 inches. Upper parts pale greenish olive and gray; throatwhite, breast pale cinnamon, flanks gray and white. FORM AND HABIT: THE FEET. 27 outer feathers, as in the Meadowlark. The tail mayalso he expressive of disposition. Compare the droopedtail of a pensive Flycatcher with the uptilted member ofan inquisitive Wren. But it is when displaying its beauties that a birdspeaks most eloquently with its tail. Can anything ex-ceed the pompous pride of a Turkey cock strutting inswollen glory, with tail stiffly spread ? The Peacockerects his tail in a similar manner, but it is entirely con-cealed by the train of gorgeous feathers which it par-tially supports. The Feet.—As the feet share with the wings the re-sponsibilities of locomotion, there is often a close rela-tion between these organs. For example, short-

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