be measured. With the beginner, it is best to measure every specimen.
I measured some fifteen thousand birds before I made a single skin
without so doing, and now I am careful to take the dimensions of all
rare specimens. The dimensions of a bird are taken as follows, using
dividers and a rule marked in hundredths of the inch: First measure the
extreme length from the tip of bill to end of tail; then the extreme
stretch of wing from tip to tip; then the length of one wing from the
scapular joint to tip of longest quill; next, the length of tail from
end of longest feather to its base at the insertion in the muscles; now
the length of bill along culmen or chord of upper mandibles; and of
tarsus from tarsal joint to base of toes. I have a blank sheet ruled,
and fill it out as per sample (page 62).
CAMPEPHILUS PRINCIPALIS.
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| No. | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| Sex. | M | F | M |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| |Gulf | | |
| Locality. |Hummock,| " | " |
| | Fla.| | |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| Date. |Nov. 20,| | |
| | 1882 | " | " |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| Length. | 20.35 | 19.75 | 21.00 |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| Stretch. | 31.00 | 30.00 | 32.00 |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| Wing. | 9.30 | 9.00 | 9.60 |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| Tail. | 6.35 | 6.25 | 6.50 |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| Bill. | 2.75 | 2.65 | 2.80 |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+
| Tarsus. | 1.80 | 1.60 | 2.00 |
+--------+-----+--------+-------+-------+
| |Eye. | Yellow | " | " |
| +-----+--------+-------+-------+
|Color of|Bill.| Ivory | " | " |
| | | white | | |
| +-----+--------+-------+-------+
| |Feet.|Greenish| " | " |
+--------+-----+--------+-------+-------+
| Remarks. |Plumage,| " | " |
| | new | | |
+--------------+--------+-------+-------+